


Eternally Never Yours

by EternallyEcho



Category: Mario Story | Paper Mario, Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Super Mario Bros.
Genre: Abandoned Ship, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Ambushes and Sneak Attacks, Ancient Curse, Anger, Angst and Feels, Animal Attack, Apologies, Arguing, Assassination, Assassination Attempt(s), Awkward Conversations, Awkward Dates, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Kissing, Awkward Romance, Awkwardness, Beach Brawl, Bedroom, Berserk Button, Bittersweet, Boats and Ships, Bombs, Books, Boss Battles, Bowsario, Bowser Mini-Games, Brothers, Burns, Cape, Cape Feather, Castles, Cave-In, Chains, Character Death, Cheek Stroking, Chocolate, Choices, Choosing Sides, Chronic Illness, Civil War, Climbing, Climbing Fences, Coliseum, Combat, Conquest, Council, Curses, Curtains, Dancing, Dancing and Singing, Dark, Dark Magic, Darkness, Dating, Deadly Games, Death Threats, Declarations Of Love, Developing Relationship, Difficult Decisions, Dinner, Disapproving Family, Disguise, Divide & Conquer, Divination, Dodging, Double Entendre, Drama, Drama & Romance, Dreams and Nightmares, Dreams vs. Reality, Dubious Morality, Dungeon, Dysfunctional Family, Earth Manipulation, Ego, Elemental Magic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Lovers, Escape, Escape Plans, Exorcisms, Explosives, Falling In Love, Falling Out of Favor, Family Fluff, Family Shenanigans, Fan Characters, Fantastic Racism, Fate & Destiny, Father-Son Relationship, Fear, Fighting, Fights, Fire, Fire Flower, Fire Powers, First Dates, First Kiss, Fish out of Water, Flawed, Flirting, Flower Power, Flowers, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Flutter Jump, Flying, Fog, Food, Forests, Forgiveness, Fortresses, Freezing, Friend or Foe Situations, Frozen Empire, Gay, Getting Together, Glaciers, Guards, Guessing, Guilt, Guilty Consciences, Hallucinations, Hate to Love, Haunted Arc, Haunted Houses, Haunting, Healing, Heart-to-Heart, Heartbreaking, Hidden Depths, Hidden Talents, Hostile, Hurt/Comfort, I Love You, I Sink My Own Ships, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Ice Flower, Ice Powers, Ice Slides, Illusions, Infiltration, Insecurity, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Junior Clown Cars, Kidnapping, Kissing, Koopa Clown Car, Lava - Freeform, Letters, Library, Light Magic, Living Snowman, Loss of Trust, Love Confessions, Love Letters, Love/Hate, M/M, Magic, Magic Made Them Do It, Magic Mario, Magic Revealed, Magic-Users, Magical Artifacts, Magicians, Magma, Male Slash, Marriage Arrangements, Meet the Family, Melting, Mental Breakdown, Mind Games, Mind Manipulation, Minor Character Death, Minor Original Character(s), Monsters, Moral Ambiguity, Morally Ambiguous Character, Mountains, Mystery Character(s), Nature, Nature Magic, Night Terrors, Nightmare Fuel, Nightmares, Not Really Character Death, Older Characters, Oppression, Original Character(s), POV Multiple, Parent-Child Relationship, Parenthood, Past Relationship(s), Past Tense, Penguin Suits, Penguins, Plot Twists, Points of View, Possibly Unrequited Love, Present Tense, Prison, Prisoner of War, Prisoners, Prophetic Dreams, Psychological Horror, Public Display of Affection, Punching, Pushing limits, Pyramids, Questionable Motives, Questioning, Raft, Rage, Reading, Rebellion, Rebels, Recurring Nightmares, Relationship Reveal, Requited Love, Rescue Missions, Return, Returning Home, Reveal, Romance, Running, Running Away, Sarcasm, Search for a Cure, Secret Crush, Secret Relationship, Secrets, Shapeshifting, Sharing a Bed, Ship Sinking, Shipping, Shock, Singing, Sleeping Together, Sliding, Snark, Sneaking Around, Snow and Ice, Snowmen, Split Opinions, Spy - Freeform, Star Hill, Stream of Consciousness, Teamwork, Teasing, Thawing, The Gathering, Third Wheels, Threats, Threats of Violence, Thrones, Thunder and Lightning, Trans Character, Traps, Travel, Treasure Boxes, Trials, Trust Issues, Tutoring, Twisted, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings, Undead, Unrequited Love, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Tension, Uprising, Vine Whips, Vines, Wands, War, Warlocks, Water, Witches, Wizards, Xebec, code names, crystal ball, falling, families, feels trip, fight for survival, flames, hissing, jumping, keeping secrets, mansions, mountain climbing, pillows, post-rebellion, prisoner, squids, study, swinging, unforgiven, unity, waterfalls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2018-04-01 08:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 263,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4012012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternallyEcho/pseuds/EternallyEcho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Slash-fic, M/M. A hopeless romantic wonders if he'll ever have what it takes to end a tedious charade. Tired of the lies and secrets, he writes to his beloved about what they can never have. From there, the rest spirals out of his control. Rated T, just in case.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Love Letter

**Author's Note:**

> Before we begin, one last reminder: this is a slash-fic, between 2 male Mario characters. If you're not into that, you shouldn't read this.
> 
> If you are or open minded, read ahead.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gathering his thoughts on his own, a lonesome soul writes sweet nothings to his forbidden crush, dreaming of the possibilities he could never have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we begin, one last reminder: this is a slash-fic, between 2 male Mario characters. If you're not into that, you shouldn't read this.
> 
> If you are or open minded, read ahead.

Mario,

Let's get this cleared up:

You're a moron.

I don't get how you've been missing it for so long. I'm not going to make it easy and spell it out for you. It's not your style and that's not how I want it. But I'm losing my patience, which has never been that high to begin with.

It's been years of the same routine, over and over again. I kidnap the princess; you jump around tons of worlds that I've taken control of, and storm your way to my castle. Have you ever stopped and wondered why I keep at it? You must have.

Everyone else wonders. She does. Her people do. My people. I'm pretty sure your brother does too. So you must have questioned my routine. What I question is how you couldn't figure it out from that.

How could you not see that I'm doing this…all of it…for you?

The easy opinion is that I like Peach. Where that started is beyond me, but it became the most popular reason that anyone can follow. "The monster has to be in love with the girl! Why else would he constantly take her away? Certainly not for her hero, that's for sure!" Ugh.

Don't get me wrong; she's pretty. Blonde hair and blue eyes, a favorite, winning combination for anyone, I suppose. The blonde is too bright, for my tastes. You brown is softer to look at. Blue eyes are quite lovely, but her glint of ice and lack the warmth I see in yours. Whereas hers are cold, yours are deeper, immersive as an ocean, and much more assuring to look into. It's easy to lose myself in your eyes.

What of the rest of her? What of her sugary sweet personality that everyone loves? I loathe it. She's soft, too soft. It's a wonder that she could be in charge of an entire kingdom. I must compliment her, as she can buckle down and show strength, once in a while. But that's so overshadowed by her insecurity, her fragile appearance, and constant need to be rescued.

Of course she would like you. Short, but strong. You get a fair bit of a workout from your travels and battles, I'm sure. I do contribute, after all. Sure, you look a little pudgy from time to time, but that means you eat, unlike the boney princess. A little over nourishment isn't a problem for me, as you could identify by my own outward appearance. (The shell adds a lot of my bulk, honestly.) Of course, the mustache is a plus, as anyone could tell you. I'm dying to know what it feels like to have it graze my lips and can only imagine how many lucky women have had the chance to take what I so desperately desire. Especially, of course, our "beloved" princess.

If you're interested in her, that would make sense. That's the logical thing, isn't it? The story with the, what's it called, "brave, noble, dashing hero" risking everything he understands and climbing every mountain to reunite with his, "beloved princess," right? It sounds like the most romantic tale of them all, of course.

No one would suspect any interest in the monster, at least.

Anyway, the answer is no. Peach is my target to prove how flawed her kingdom's defenses are, how prone she is to attack. If I were to marry her, it wouldn't be out of love; I want her kingdom, plain and simple. It wouldn't be a long arrangement and she'd quickly be…disposed of, so to speak. But everyone loves a good show, right?

So I give them just that: the grandest charade they'll ever entertain. "The big and terrifying monster that lusts for the beautiful princess and terrorizes her kingdom so he can have her for himself." HA! Truly, this makes the most sense to the public at large, be it for one kingdom or another. Hers, some foreign land, whatever, or even my own. They all fall for that sham of a story.

Going along with it is bitter work, but I do so nevertheless. Feign interest in her, dumb down my speech and intellect, and act like she's everything I want. It's easy to fall into and even easier to fool everyone, including the girl herself.

It's not so good of a performance, however, that even you should be deluded by it. You're better than that and I know you are.

Clearly, you do enjoy playing the hero, what with all of the constant dangers to handle, perilous adventures that await, new worlds to explore, and so much more. And then, when you've "vanquished the evil tyrant" and rescued "thy fair lady," you're rewarded on a grandiose scale. It's all too alluring for you to resist, I imagine.

Who could?

If I looked so handsome and fell into that role in the tale, I'd take it and run with it, just like you. It grants the greatest of payoffs, after all, so why not?

If you knew the truth, it could stop you, or at least give you pause before your next little quest.

You can't know. You're somehow caught up in the act. You have to be.

You must be.

I tell myself this every time we square off. Each time you engage me, I wait a moment, looking to see if you've changed. I'm hoping I see your mind conflicted, maybe some sign of hesitation.

But no, you never do. You're as confident as ever. Beat the tyrant, save the princess. I can almost guarantee that's your mantra as you approach me.

Did it ever, even once, cross your mind that the big, bad Koopa may be less caught up in usual drama than you realize? Do you ever think that, maybe, just maybe, that he's looking for something more?

If I were to yell out, "I love you," would you hesitate then? Would you think more carefully, with a cleared mind, away from all of the lies?

I can't tell you how tempting that is for me. Just to see you freeze up would be a delight. You might even stop and I could finally be honest about my feelings, about the act, and everything else. Maybe you'd reciprocate my feelings.

Could you?

My heart pounds with hope every time I see you. It leads to disappointment, always. But I cannot…no, I refuse to give up.

I don't know what it takes. The more days that pass by, the more I feel at wit's end. What does it take to get you to understand in the subtlest way? How do I save face for us both if we ever do get the right words, the proper feelings out? What happens after, when the tyrant Koopa king relents in attacks and suddenly goes out to more and more parties and sporting events with what everyone foolishly considers his arch nemesis?

Actually, it's those times I enjoy the most. Simple sports. Racing, golfing, football or soccer, tennis, baseball, or whatever else we can play. It's these times that I don't have to work against you. I normally do, for appearances obviously. But there's always the chance for the unthinkable: the two of us on the same side, working together. The chance for you to be with me, however brief, and for us work as equals. The moment for us to share the same burning desires, the goals and victories we hunger for. I long for that to go beyond games.

But I lose myself again. My attention is always on you, one way or another. It gets to the point where I forget everyone else, including your brother, the green clad fellow. He's…charming, in his own rights. In fact, I have debated pursuing him, as he seems more, um…what's the proper way to say it? Feminine? Easily emasculated? Either way, I suppose do find him somewhat viable as an option. He's related to you after all, and does well enough to oppose my forces.

But it's you I prefer by far. I don't know how else to say it, but I prefer the more masculine and strong types. It makes a suitable match for me, reflects how I am as well.

This all leads back to my introduction: you are, in fact, a moron.

You're brilliant, strong, cunning, kind, and quite talented. However, I firmly believe that you're not as smart as I believe. This train of thought soothes me when I'm driven insane by the lack of acknowledgement to me. The smart man would realize that I'm after him, not the princess. You? You couldn't be further from realizing it, could you?

Or could I be mistaken? Are we both anticipating the same thing and waiting for one another to make the first move?

What am I to you? Nemesis? Evil king? Dark lord? Am I a friend with a twisted sense of humor? Mutual crush that fails to admit to shared feelings? Anyone important? Nobody? Tell me, I'm begging to know!

I need a sign. I've told you so many times how important you are to me. All right, I admit that it's not blatant and I continue my charades. But if you're so important as an enemy to me, can't you try connecting the dots? I'm not as good of an actor as I've lead everyone to believe.

Are you nervous too? Are you afraid to bring out your deepest feelings? Can you not stand the thought of playing any role beyond the hero? Do you share feelings with not only me, but your precious princess as well? It's not my son that brings doubts to your mind, is it?

My son. Is that who causes you to hesitate? Is he who makes me hesitate? I've told him many lies to keep him under the veil of my performances. He believes my artificial hatred of you is quite real. I don't know how to tell him otherwise. There are days that I wish he were a clone of me, something produced by a Magikoopa's magic. He's not. Junior is…from a fling. One I don't even remember. It must have been another Koopa, since he doesn't possess any other traits from…well, anything else. He could be my clone, for all anyone cares; he's identical to me and shares almost every little trait with me. Physically, emotionally, mentally, he's me. He's far too young for me to explain the truth. Getting with you might even prove disastrous for him. I may not always act it, but I do cherish him. Junior and the other Koopalings. My army is my family and they do what they can to keep my spirits up. It's not easy playing the villain; less so when I'm smitten for my so-called adversary.

I'd love to work it out somehow. My life would suddenly become picture perfect if I could just have you by my side, no questions asked. It goes to the point where I could relent any conquest desires I have; my kingdom is strong enough as is and if giving up my plans to rule over all meant us being together—happiness—I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Yes, conquest. As I said, it's all for you. I act like a vicious ruler so no one can see my tender side, my vulnerabilities. In truth, I would probably make a very normal, if not boring, empire.

There's a reason that I've ventured to space; castles with lava moats can only hold an appeal for so long. You stopped me there; I knew you would, of course, even relished your pursuits of me, but it was an undeniable blast for both of us. It was something I was delusional about; the grandeur of space was alluring. Part of me hoped that we could get lost out there, just the two of us. It could never work though; we have too many responsibilities. My kingdom, your princess; there's so much to keep up with. So much that keeps us apart.

That's the point of total conquest for me: take control of everything, no more opposition. No more sides. You would be with me. There would be no more acting. I wouldn't need to make an excuse to see you or work with you. You would be mine and I would become yours. We could rule, both of us, together.

The people would think you'd do it to keep me in check, to stop any further forms of my infamous evil domination. We could laugh in privacy, mock the idea that I did it for any power hungry ambitions. Power is a tool, an extension of oneself to accomplish goals. Mine is simply to have you. It's dramatic, sure, but worthwhile, I'm certain. If you could tell me of alternatives, I'm more than willing to listen.

If you would tell me anything intimate, I'm desperately waiting to hear.

I delude myself with how much I want from this. My thoughts drift, wondering if a monarchy has ever had to kings united through their matrimony and if we'd be the first. We haven't even begun to explore a relationship, let alone entertain such thoughts. (Still, I can't seem to help myself.) Could we engage in romance with one another? Would we be so compatible? I don't know. I like to think so, but I realize that we need to actually get there first.

It goes nowhere though. I hesitate, afraid of consequences. Fear seeps through me as I wonder what the world around us, the people, will think. Is it so unnatural? On how many levels? What lines would we cross by becoming lovers? Would we be rejected and horrify the masses? Or would we be embraced, finding the best solution to peace that could be arranged? Would your brother accept a monster in law, literally instead of figuratively? Could my son understand my love for you and accept you as a second father?

There are no answers. Only fantasies.

My heart bleeds and, more than anything, I fear that we will never be together. If you were to reject me, that would be simpler. Painful, but we could make the illusion real. My appearance as an evil overlord would be much easier to keep up with. Or perhaps I could relent, let that go entirely, with nothing left to pursue.

No, I fear more of your mutual acceptance of me.

It would not be of your love. It would be of the difficulties that rise from us being together. There would be a strenuous amount of problems and trials for us to face. There would be someone, somewhere, that would deny us, refuse our love.

We would be outcasts. I would be overthrown from my kingdom. You would be banished and labeled traitor to the Mushroom Kingdom. They might even hunt us; do everything possible to separate us. Claim that we're mentally ill. Keep us apart.

It's unimaginable. Even if we could manage to be together, could we manage to be parted from our loved ones? Could we leave everything we've ever come to know behind, with only each other forevermore?

If you could, maybe you could give me the strength to do so. It's incomprehensible to me at base value.

I wonder, again and again, if there could be a perfect world for us. I could wish on all the stars for us to be together. Is there was a possible way for everything to go right? You know that I've tried. You've stopped me without knowing why, but if you knew, would you let me? Or do you stop me because it isn't right? Would it be so unnatural to create our own world from scratch?

If you knew, would you let me? Would you help me? Would we agree?

There's so much that I wish to know. I want so much from you, from myself. I'm not brave, not like you. I'm afraid. I'm insecure. I need you, your guidance, to let me know if I'm right. I need to know if you want what I want.

Mario, you are everything to me. No, you will never know, but you are everything that I could ask for, all that I pine for.

I call you the fool because I want you to make the first move. It should be me, but I'm far too afraid. Could you understand someone so mighty being so frail? I disgust myself with such thoughts, but it's true. It burns me so.

These are the most painful truths, but they're all I know.

Years will trickle by. We will engage eternally in battle. We will never be together. We will die, again and again, longing for an impossible end.

But as I've said, you should know by now:

I will never give up.

Eternally never yours,

Bowser

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how was that? I noticed the lack of Mario/Bowser out there and wanted to make something. It was supposed to be a comical approach when I thought of it, but then I realized how impossible the couple was and made it more dramatic. In hindsight, it was kind of a ramble, so maybe I should have made it short and funny instead. Oh well!
> 
> Honestly, I was surprised no one really considered this pairing as something plausible, given how some heroes and villains have...intensely close relationships. *cough*BatmanJoker*cough* In all seriousness though, it felt like a refreshing take on the Mario/Peach/Bowser triangle, though maybe I haven't searched enough for more like this. Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> (Now I wonder if Mario/Bowser is so impossible that no one even ships it. Ha, what a tragedy indeed!)


	2. A Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unknowingly, a companion is given to the previous letter. This one shares similar feelings to no one in particular, but finds the unattainable romance to be maddening. In all the wrong ways, in all the right. Either way, it certainly won't end tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, sorry for the super long wait! I got busy with life and this chapter took longer to work on than I intended. But it's here, at last! (Again, this is Mario x Bowser, so that's a slash-fic. Just a head's up if you don't like guys in love.)

Beloved Friend,

I have a confession: I love to play with fire.

It's probably my fatal flaw, or it's definitely one of them. This is just something that's fascinated me since I was a child, a baby even. Dancing flames, swirling magma, flowing lava, smoky smells, sensational warmth, perfect destruction, and it's got my attention more times than I can count.

Sure, it's a hazard and the more you fool around with it, the more likely you are to get burned. If you're really careless, it will most definitely kill you. Yet, there is a certain thrill to having the power flow from your fingertips and unleashing just a tiny ball of beauty onto the world, however brief it is. Honestly, I don't recommend it to anyone else. Fire is my everlasting addiction, one that I shouldn't have, but I can't tear myself from it.

The problem is that I don't really tell anyone about it. People think that everything is under control. Not even my brother has any clue at just how entranced I am. One would think that he would be more likely to struggle with something like this. It fits more in line with his character, not mine.

What's my character? Well, I'm supposed to be the hero. My role is to be the one that everyone looks up to. The sky turns dark, the princess is taken, people lose hope, and hell has essentially broken loose. But as soon as I walk in, no one is afraid anymore and the world is suddenly at a calm. I'm meant to plunge myself into spiraling stacks of flames and emerge victorious, restoring the world to its proper order. The people clap, they cheer my name. Their savior returns balance and keeps them going for another day. And that's when the fire is supposed to go out.

But it never does.

And I don't understand why. It burns, passionately as always, the very next time. Any time I try to pat it down, whenever I look to put it out, the fire seems like it dies, but it just waits for a moment before it comes back to life.

The people may think to be afraid, but their bravest man will appear again, and, no matter how difficult, he will work to tame the fire. What they can't see, what I'm afraid of them ever seeing, is that I help light the flames. By trying to put them out, I only build them up again.

An endless cycle is a kind way to describe it. My burning waltz is maddening.

Truthfully, the worst part is how much I enjoy it.

No, not playing the hero, not exactly. One would think that being everyone's idol would be what keeps me going. It's not. It's diving into the inferno. It's my obsession. It calls to me and I respond without hesitation.

We come together, time and again, and I love it. What? Love, you ask? How could a fool be so mesmerized by something that does nothing but bring pain upon your loved ones?

Thing. That's what they would call it. I frown whenever I hear that for the name. The thing. The monster. The freak. The beast. The terror. The villain. The king of all evils, everything wrong with the land. His royal majesty, they call mockingly call him, his grouchiness, his awfulness, his wretchedness, and all the terrible rest. That's what they would call him.

The fire. My fire.

Madness. Sheer, utter lunacy. That's how they'd label my mania, my passion. That's why I'll never tell. Truth be told, I'm no hero, for I love this destruction, this chaos. When the people cry out for me, I'm not caught up in the pleasure it is to save them, their princess, the kingdom. With a strong grin on my face, that's what they'd assume, but they're wrong. That smile is because I'm excited to go after him again.

Yes, him. He is the fire, my fixation. He literally breathes flames and would dare to put on a show just for one, just me. Always just for me, I like to tell myself. Imagine.

It's not though.

I hear the whispers through the towns, the castle courtyards. "The beast would so love the princess, if he could make her his own!" Lies. Slander. It has to be.

Doesn't it?

Yet, it makes sense to me, as I piece it together. He tries so hard, not for me, but for her. Conquest is for her, to show his strength, his girth. He thinks that by toppling her, she'll somehow become more invested in him, more in love with him. I don't think he understands how desperately she detests flirting with danger.

Her. Not me.

I love the badness. It's hilarious how many people would peg Peach for it. Pretty perfect princess that she is, everyone imagines that she wants something that stands as a foil. People look at her when they think someone would actually desire a person that's darker, meaner. They look right past me.

It must be, since I get my hands slightly dirty now and again, that they think I want something soft, tender. Don't get me wrong, I want someone to open up to; it's a bad habit of mine to keep things bottled inside, hardly mentioning a "hello" some days. And I've taken days to wonder if that would be Peach. It might be nice, in another world, another day.

But we're just friends.

It should be easy to follow. I've rescued her many a time, and yet, while we share tender moments together, they're just because I've taken the time to get to know her. See the princess beyond the appearances, beyond the sugary sweet personality she lets the world see.

Her delicate fragility is actually her armor. No, she's not going to burst forward with the strength of a hundred men. Peach is more complicated. Yes, she is sweet as the kingdom knows her, but deep down, she is burdened. The kingdom, world sees her in the best possible the light, the warmest and brightest. It's not all cakes and roses for her though. She's had to make hard calls, painful decisions. They're not always moral, and they're not at all easy. They take a toll on her, mentally, emotionally.

Peach never lets that slip through though. Never her. Not her grace. She has to be the perfect princess everyone expects her to be. If she were to show any signs of slipping, even the slightest hint or promise of failure, the people would be in despair. They would anguish. They would riot.

And so, when she has no one, she turns to me.

It sounds a lot like love, but it's not. There's a difference between the secrets of friends and those of lovers. She tells me of her struggles and I'm her shoulder to cry on. It's not because she thinks I'm the greatest thing she's ever met, but because she knows that I can handle the harder side. Sure, she's called me handsome, attractive even, but not with passion behind it. These are more off hand or matter of fact comments, not ones that she would want me to understand are only her thoughts. They're the thoughts that any woman could have.

Or any man, right?

What defines a man, anyway? Is it so simple, a handsome fellow who knows his way around tools, sports, power ups, and, of course, the ladies? Or is there something deeper behind it? Is it just a slightly short and a bit stout fellow, who happens to be quite athletic all the same, or can it be extended to a much large creature, one that runs a kingdom all his own, with loyal subjects and followers, hampered only by his desires for conquest and his physical appearance?

People would call Bowser disgusting. How is beyond me. He's strong, imposing. Carrying the shell on his back shows signs of this strength. Yet, he always manages to wear some kind of a pearly white smile. Many claim that his eyes are blood shot and full of threatening evil, but I see something else. When our eyes meet, I see warmth. It's a beautiful red color, one complemented by his scorching red hair, which fits so calmly between his horns. Any strains in there are from a tired workingman, or monster, as others prefer to call him. Sure, the scales are different, but they seem so smooth, uniform in their place. The spiked cuffs and collars are intimidating, but fit in a style that suits him nicely. Sure, the claws might be sharp, but he keeps them well groomed; maybe I should be more afraid of those, but I feel some kind of excitement from seeing them.

The fun part is the tail. It wags around as he saunters, flowing delicately after the rest of his form. I have a fascination with exotic features, and this a highlight indeed. He manages to keep it in tow, yet it just calls for someone to reach out. It beckons for a tug, to test his body's potency. More than once, I've gone after it, swung him by it. After all, I need to assess it for myself, examine him. Show off myself, a little. I admit, it's not the best way to offer myself to him, but it gets the point across.

His persona is something to behold in itself. Most know only his wrath, rage. I'm told how he is selfish and lacks redeeming qualities. Yet, he rules a kingdom. His subjects hold him in high regard and willingly send themselves out in his name. Some take the utmost pride in it. Even his name commands respect. (Bow, ser, before the mighty Koopa King, Bowser.) Perfectly fitting.

Many say that he dominates his soldiers into submission, to enforce their undying cooperation. How, then, can he manage to keep his army loyal? Fear only works for so long, especially on the younger seven Koopalings. He holds them close to his heart, almost like his own son. Junior, however, he showers with endless amounts of affection.

Obvious that he would get all of the love, being the rightful heir, but there are rulers, parents that refuse to show love even to their children. There are Toads that would run in terror and leave their children to die. These Koopa kids purposely put themselves in the line of danger, to impress their father, to show him that they are just as capable as the soldiers he sends forth.

And what of their father, the king? He fights right alongside the children. His go to partner in crime is his own son. Even when the boy makes mistakes, he can still make his father proud.

How could a total family man be only evil?

Still, there are those that insist Bowser to be as much a fool as a terrible tyrant. Judging by his well-crafted plans, from invading any defenses that the castle guards could think up (myself included), to whatever schemes and obstacles he creates, reaching so far as to journey into space, I would conclude that he is anything but dim-witted. It takes a wealth of knowledge and intelligence to pull off even half of what he does. There's a certain artistic flair hidden within the king, one that is only noticed through careful observation.

It also amazes me, how no one can notice his mischievous side, with a playful grin here and a mocking look there. I suppose I am the usual recipient to these, as if he is daring me to challenge him. If only he understood that I wanted more than fighting him, more than being his number one competitor in battle, sports, parties, and whatever else.

There must be something more there, right? He has the same obsession with facing me as I do with him. He comes at me with everything, time and again. Is it hatred? Does he detest me so much, being the foil to his every effort? How could he stand being near me, when we're not clashing? We've worked together before, gone along on adventures together, even played on the same team in the different sporting events we attend. He has a sort of love-hate attitude toward me and I desperately want to understand it.

I already know the kingdoms, the world, would call my love a form of insanity, but would he? I would tell him, but I'm afraid that he would mirror their reactions. Disgust. Laughter. Something else to use against me, I suppose.

More frightful, I gather, would be if he returned them. What then? What would we become after that? Could I change him? Should I? Would I change?

Me, the slaughterer of his armies, the man that ruins the plan, asked by the King of Koopas to be welcomed into their castle, their kingdom? Him, the one that strikes away a heartbeat in any Toad's chest, the "monster" that harasses their ruler, the one that terrorizes the world at large, presented as the love of my life?

I can't even imagine my own brother's reaction. His twin, so twisted inside? How could his big brother, the hero and his idol, be intimately involved with the worst demon of them all? How could I ever let my little brother down? I worry that I take away so much from him already. The world is a cruel place, he is very wary of that. And yet he soldiers on, chasing me to hell itself, if not to stop the "forces of evil," then at least to save me.

Luigi has always been so selfless, putting everyone and everything before himself. How could I possibly hurt him in such a way, betray him? How could I put him through a horrifying truth? Lie to him? Put his neck on the line? He's not my subject, a citizen, or my follower. He's my brother. How selfish would it be, for me to tell him that I love our designated enemy? Risk him to flirt with fire?

I am mad. To fathom that there would be acceptance is absurd in and of itself.

And I'm painfully avoiding the fact that he may truly love the princess. Is it just a means to an end? Does he only want her for the kingdom? I see a hunger in his eyes, but I mistake it to be for me. What if it is for her? She calls me the handsome one, yet she is a beautiful creature in another level above mine. Well above. He must notice her that way. Why settle for less and deal with all the risks that come with me? She is the prize, the highest honor. She could give him so much more than I can offer.

Even if Peach rejects him, he must still desire her. He must want her. Almost everyone does. Why not him? Why should I think him above it all? Just because I want him, just because I believe that he should be mine, that doesn't suddenly make my King into my lover. My crush. Not love.

Such thoughts slay me. I laugh at people who expect so much from Peach and myself, as it goes nowhere, but I am presented with the same trouble between Bowser and I.

We have gone nowhere.

My thoughts are a mess. I cannot see clearly, even with the brightest lights. Nothing makes sense. Nothing makes me happy.

How can I want my enemy? He is the worst possible thing I could have ever asked for. He opposes me, he terrorizes all that I love, and, simply put, he drives me insane.

The worst part of it all is that I can't live without him.

Even as I look over all that I have written here, it's something disgusting for anyone else to behold. I should hate it. I should hate these thoughts, this lust. Love between men is a delicate subject in and of itself. Love between mortal enemies isn't possible.

Yet it's real. These are my thoughts. I desire these things. This is my truth. I say so little, and I'll never let myself come so close to revealing these secrets, but it's all here. Something that no one can know, and it's that I love—

* * *

"Mario?"

The door creaked open and I whirled around to find my younger, leaner brother, standing just outside our room. The lights have been turned off and the rest of the house is cloaked in the night's dark, save for the little light next to me. He glanced to the wooden desk, giving a curious look to my letter, scribbled on paper.

"What are you writing, bro?" Luigi asks, probably controlling a burning desire to dive at the letter and read it all for himself.

I wouldn't dream of giving him the chance. "Nothing special," I flawlessly lie to him, "just a little something to organize my thoughts about some silly speeches that Toadsworth wants me to present. You know, the opening for road and bridge, the one from Toad Town to Peach's Castle?"

"Ah, ok," he replies, with a hint of satisfaction. "Fun stuff. Bet you can't wait to have the crowd cheer for you, huh?"

I roll my eyes and he laughs. "Of course. It's what I live for," comes my exaggerated reply.

"Well, they love you for it," he manages, through his dwindling chuckles. "Get some rest and make sure you've got it set in the morning."

"I will once I'm done. There's just a little more."

He nods and climbs into the bed nearest to the door, taking his place on the lower bunk. "Good night, Mario," comes my brother's sleepy voice.

"Good night, Luigi," I whisper as I return to the paper.

* * *

Something that no one can know, and it's that I love Bowser. Not Luigi, my brother whom I share many things. Not Peach, who can be my confidant as much as I hers. Not even Bowser himself, who will probably never know my declarations of love.

I want this written though. It's dangerous to do so, but it's been plaguing at my mind for the longest time now.

Yes, I'm sure this will end up in someone else's hands, at some point or another. I am hopeful that it is someone who comes to understand me, if not someone I come to love. Hence my address to you, reader; I hope you have stayed with me thus far and, should I know you, that we continue to work through things together. Truly, I hope that I've given this away willingly and that it was not stolen from me.

Perhaps I should burn this before then. But it is late, and I need to draw this to a close. It clears my mind, writing this down, but I suppose I'll need an alternative.

Until then, I'm sure my fiery waltz will continue.

Fondly,

Mario (Yep, that's-a me!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, caught up! I hope you enjoyed reading this one. I wanted it different from the last one, so I had Mario write to no one in particular, but that could become someone, should he so choose. (Or it could simply be...you! The reader! Hooray you!)
> 
> Mario's perspective was surprisingly harder to write for. With Bowser, it was easy to figure that he had some kind of soft spot for his nemesis, as well as there being a need for love, deep down. By contrast, Mario actually has love, both by family/friends and the people he saves. He's more idolized than Bowser, so I tried to play him as someone who was somewhat addicted to getting into trouble.
> 
> It was especially hard to tackle Mario/Peach as a friendship instead of a romance, since I really like the two of them together. But hey, they have plenty of stories together, so Mario/Bowser has to start somewhere. I really had to throw in Luigi walking in on Mario; it's just an innocent incident that was bound to happen.
> 
> Anyway, an actual story is set to unfold after these letters, so if you stay tuned, there's plenty more to come after this. (It's also on another website, if you're feeling impatient and want to get caught up to where it currently is.) Thanks for reading!


	3. An Assault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the princess holds an opening for a new bridge, the wicked king appears to kidnap her once again. The hero tries to rise to the occasion, but things will take more unexpected turns than any of them anticipated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still with us so far? All right, sit down and buckle up. This chapter's a little bigger, taking a story approach, with a little action & perspective swapping (labeled by character names in brackets). Happy reading!

**[Mario]**

_I'm at the castle again. His. It's in the final corridor of my journey, which happens to be his throne room today. We're across the way from one another. It's warm, but not because of the torches lit around the room. He stands from his spiky black throne, revealing the red cushioning underneath._

_He looks at me, with his usual toothy grin. Already I am looking from that to his eyes. Red. Fire. Perfection._

_Seeing the princess in a cage beside the throne means we're in for a fight. She's in a white dress though, strangely. Wedding? Was he forcing her into it? Why isn't he in a tux? Would he wear one? Can we get him to wear one?_

_No. Not here. Focus. I need to stop him. I hate it, but I must…_

_Stop. I'm looking over to my right. My brother is against a wall. He's battered. I don't look long, but I'm sure he took too many hits. But he never ventures this far, or rather, not before me._

_I look down. I'm a bit scratched up, but it's not as severe as his. Or, I don't think?_

_Cries and cheers for a father echo. His son, Junior, is waiting to join in, ready to fight with his father. He looks angrier than usual. Twisted, almost. Pained, somehow?_

_A thunderous roar erupts and my attention is back to the center, to him. He bellows a breath of fire and I need to move. But I can't. I don't. Why won't I?_

_The fire consumes me…wait, this isn't right!_

_Laughter is the last thing I can hear. It's faint, far away. "You're a fool to even look at me that way." His voice. His words. But I never heard him…this still isn't how it goes…no, enough!_

* * *

I wake with a jolt and nearly fall from my bed. My heart is racing as I scramble up. A dream. A nightmare. That's all.

"Mario?" Luigi, sounding concerned. "You ok? I thought I heard muttering while you were sleeping. Sounded like you were scared."

Looking over the bunk, I meet my brother's eyes looking up at me, into a matching pair, mine. His hair's a little messy, but I'm back at his eyes, which waver a bit. His expression looks more afraid than his voice allows.

I laugh. It confuses and calms him at once. "It's today, isn't it? The opening?"

His frown lifts to a smile. "Of the new bridge and road? Yes, it is."

"Fantastic. My nightmare was about Bowser and his minions arriving to ruin it, but I was already standing at attention in my underwear." I try to make it sound convincing by making it ridiculous.

He frowns again, eyes lowered a bit. He's not buying it.

"What's worse," I added, still trying to sell it, "was having the princess gasp a little 'Oh my!' right behind me, Toadsworth babble about how preposterous it was, and then everyone proceeded to laugh at me. Every time I tried to get away, I walked or jumped into a tree." I pause here. I'm ready to say more, but Luigi's lips curved into a smirk. Now it's close to crazy enough. Now it can't be made up.

"Sounds completely humiliating, bro," he says, getting up from his bed. Luigi moves to the drawers and tosses a red shirt and blue overalls up at me. "Hit the shower and don't forget these on your way out."

"Yep, will do!" I toss off my covers and hop from the top bunk, clothes in hand. Moving toward the door, my hand reaches for the knob before my brother interrupts me.

"Shouldn't you bring that paper?" He points to the desk, with my letter from last night still decorating the center.

Did I really leave that there? I am insane. I'm expecting to rush Luigi to grab it, but he must think better of it and watches me snatch it. Too quickly, I've taken it. Think.

"Right, thanks, Luigi," I force another laugh. "Now I'm positive I'll forget something."

Not bothering to see his reaction, I hastily move out the door. He calls out to me anyway. "That's why I follow you. Someone has to make sure you've got your act together!"

It's unintentional, but those last words sting me.

* * *

** [Bowser] **

After a terrible nightmare of Mario and Peach marrying, with me ruining the wedding reception and being soundly trounced afterward, I wake with a cough.

"What does he see in her anyway?" I know the answers, but I ask the question out loud as it rolls from my head. With a groan, I toss my head back and onto my pillow again. I stare blankly at the ceiling. She's perfect, especially for him. Don't think about it.

There's a knocking at the end of my bedchamber. "Yes?" I gruffly call out, but it gets buried under another cough. Clearing my throat and answering the knocking again, "What?"

"Lord Bowser," comes a minion's voice. It's a grunt soldier, a Goomba, by the sound of the meek voice. "W-Word has been sent that a new road is being built between Peach's Castle and the Toads' little town." Stammering? What, is this a new recruit? Does he think I blast the door open and burn his little…? Bah, enough.

"And I care, why?" And the acting begins, with my continued annoyed responses.

"Um, well, the princess will be there." This has to be a new recruit if he thinks that will get me moving faster. Still, this has already gotten me rolling off my bed and up for the day, so he's got me by that technicality.

"And I suppose her little knight, will be there?" I grunt, and stifle a laugh. Twisting myself a bit, I stretch some while he pauses.

"W…Who, sir?"

Really? "Mario, you nitwit!" Seriously, must I spell it?

"O-Oh! Right, o-of course," stammering little Goomba continues. "Uh, yes sir, Mario, will be there as well." Naturally. "He's meant to give a small speech for the opening, along with the princess." How cute.

I roll my claws through my hair to fix it up before continuing. "Tell me again, soldier. Why should I care? Am I meant to trifle with every little event the princess holds?" Trifle? Hang on, that's almost too good. His mighty king doesn't speak like that. At least, not to anyone's knowledge.

"B-But sir," he continues, "I was sent by my superiors to tell you about this. It does lead to the c-castle. It would be a perfect time to-to kidnap the princess and proceed to eliminate Mario and take her kingdom, all in one fell swoop."

Huh. He's got a bit of a brain himself. I would hope more than the genius that sent him. "If this were any other kingdom, that would be a terrible idea. If everyone will be there, Stammers, why would an enemy like me appear there? So the guards can slay me and lay waste to my army?" Too theatrical with those words, I realize as I yawn. Straightening my cuffs, I realize I'm still waking up. I even named the Goomba.

"I…uh, well, sir, it's…um…"

"You're lucky, Stammers, that we're talking about the Mushroom Kingdom. As always, stealing Peach will be a cinch."

Strolling across the room, I throw open the door. The small little critter hops up with fright and I see his face. It's a Goomba, but his eyes are wider than others and his expression is nervous, not confident. His teeth aren't quite soft, but certainly not as sharp as they should be. He hits the floor hard, but quickly hops up again.

"Y-Yes, sir, certainly!"

"Well? What are you standing around for? Get back to training!"

"R-Right aw-away, Lord B-Bowser!"

Stammers the Goomba speeds off, down the hall, and disappears from my sight. Junior walks out of his room just to see him speed off. Undeterred, he looks to me with a grin on his face. He walks over, and by his bouncy stride, I can tell he's been up longer than I have.

"Morning, pop! …What was that all about?"

"Just a messenger, son." I pat his head. He giggles, still young and affectionate of his father. "It appears that now would be a good time to kidnap the princess again."

"Really? Can I come watch? Oh, I can help you grab her and tie her up!" He's eager, as always. I laugh and pat him again.

"Thanks, son. But if this goes well, I'm going to need you and the Koopalings to move out and begin a total takeover of the rest of the kingdom." His smile drops into a pout. Oh boy.

"But pop," he whines. "Why can't I help you kidnap the princess? The Koopalings can take over the rest of the kingdom without me. I wanna help you! And you need me!"

The kid has a point. Bringing him along could be helpful, and I've done it before. Not today though. I want to be alone a bit. I need to clear my head. If my son's around, I'm going to feel compelled to play father and teacher. Normally, I do love to, but now is not the time. So I force a laugh and put my hand on him.

"Thanks, son! And you're right; I could use you. But if I can take care of the princess on my own, then I'll need the rest of my takeover to go without a hitch. That's where you and the Koopalings will come in. They're pretty good at handling things, but I need to know that this plan turns out well. I'm only going to know that if you go and be ready for everything, son."

Keeping my smile up, I wait. Junior frowns for a bit, letting his head drop down. I doubt my words for a moment before he lifts his head, a confident smile on him now.

"Yeah, ok! You got it, pop!" he responds, full of renewed pep. "I'll go get the Koopalings ready now!" And he races off down another hall.

I let loose a breath that I didn't know I had been holding. Perfect. World's best dad just goaded his kid out of more important work. Bah, I can make it up to him later. And he seems fine with it; he'll only pull this kind of thing up on me when he's a teenager. I've got some time before then. Besides, if the plan does somehow backfire, at least he'll be safe.

Bah, that's enough parenting. The army awaits their king.

* * *

** [Mario] **

The ceremony has been underway for a little while, with probably the whole town of Toads gathered. Princess Peach and I wait on a slightly raised stage, listening to Toadsworth talk about kingdom history. Well, she might be. It's interesting to hear the first two or three times, but after hearing similar speeches dozens of times, I've started to let my mind wander as I awkwardly shift in the small seat, probably prepared last minute and not quite for someone as big as me.

It's fun to see the different expressions on the Toads. A good number do pay attention, listening patiently to elder steward explain how the Mushroom Kingdom came to be, noble rulers that lead to her Grace, Peach herself, my coming here for the first time, and current history.

Casting a glance, I look to see the princess, who wears a bright smile and keeps a steady posture. Honestly, I can't tell if she's completely engaged by Toadsworth's retellings of our lives, or if she's putting up a wonderful performance. Her eyes wander into the crowd, which is filled with a plethora of Toads, many that hold in gasps and squeals of awe once they think their eyes met Peach's. Her smile broadens a bit by their actions, taking in the moment. They look to me as well, and I find myself follow Peach's example, smiling kindly at excited eyes.

I turn my head and share a gaze with Peach. Already the crowd may be getting the wrong idea, but we need to find each other, breathe a minute. There's a moment that she seems like she wants to say something, but—

"And now, a few words from our Princess, Peach!"

Clapping sounded and Toadsworth has finished. Not what I was expecting to interrupt. By her quick jump, she wasn't anticipating it either. Yet no one seems to notice this and she strode up next to her steward, delicately taking the podium.

"Thank you all. It's a pleasure to be here for the opening of Toadstool Road…"

She has a few lines to read over, royal customs. I tune these out as well, having helped her practice one too many times myself. Perhaps it would be hard for anyone other than me to believe just how nervous she can get about these speeches. It's not so much about speaking in front of people as much as it is choosing her words carefully. If I could speak longer sentences and was required to recite stories of the kingdom, I might be as well. But that's not what people come to see me for. No long tales of old are necessary from their hero. Just a few quick whoops and they'll erupt into cheers.

My eyes scan the assembly for Luigi, who sticks out too easily with his vastly different appearance. He's caught up in Peach, not getting the opportunities I've had to spend with her. For a moment, I wonder if there's anything between them that he'd like to explore. Neither has mentioned it, though, so I find it doubtful.

Wandering, again, my eyes take another stroll. There are bright yellow banners around us, confetti waiting to burst forth from golden containers, and a small band waiting to play a few more lovely numbers for their princess. We're by the bridge, not too far from the castle. The stones used for it are smooth, fresh, and feel nice to walk on; maybe one would forget the dull grays used to make it. There's a nice view of a blue pond below it. The road is carefully paved, managing to not disrupt the charming nature around it, filled with lush green grass and tender trees.

It's a peaceful scene, if only a bit dull at the moment. Everything feels a bit too still, stiff, as the weather is fair and the community is neatly gathered before us. They should enjoy the resting time, instead of having to worry about the kingdom falling into disarray. Unlike me, I doubt many Toads are excited by adventures and battles and…facing a certain king.

Wait, no, not here, not now! Even if everyone believes I'm daydreaming about Peach, I don't need to be distracted, disoriented by—

"And now, please welcome our hero and my personal friend, Mario."

Never mind, I suppose. Letting a small sigh out, I jump up, a little high, and hear the cheers from all around. Deciding to give the people more, I pull off a back flip and let loose a loud, "Wahoo!" They love every second, cheering louder. That's enough for now though. I hurry past Peach, who claps and giggles softly, as I take the podium.

"Hello! It's-a so nice to see you!" I don't know why they love the accent, but it's something they've grown so accustomed to. More cheering and clapping continues, so I take a minute to wave excitedly, smile broadly, at everyone. I'm so caught up in the show that I almost miss Peach's gasp. Glancing back at her, she's looking skyward.

"Oh no!"

"It's him!"

"Not now!"

Toads cry out all around as I look to the sky and see the familiar dark airship approach. His majesty's arrived at last. Farewell, peace. This kingdom hardly knew you.

* * *

** [Bowser] **

My ship descends a bit, casting a dark shadow over the folks below. Cries of "He's here! It's Bowser! Oh no!" erupt all around. Delightful. Well, I'm sure Mario and Peach had their fun. It's time for me to ham it up and take the stage. Leaping from the airship with some of my soldiers, we do just that.

"BWA HAHAHA! That's right, you chumps! Bowser's here to take over!" Ugh. Why did I ever pick my dialect to sound like this? If I had just stuck with how I normally speak, when I'm alone, that would still be intimidating. I'm not just brawn; I've got a good share of brains. Sometimes. Oh well, this is all an act anyway. More importantly, it gets the job done.

"Bowser!" a fierce call out that prompts me to turn. The princess. And naturally, her little knight in overalls is already at her side.

"Well, hello, Peach," I laugh. "What a nice little ceremony you have here." A few pesky guards try to climb onto the stage and attack me, but my guardsmen severely outclass them. "What, didn't hand out the power-ups beforehand?"

"Why must you do this?" she chastises. "For once, couldn't you leave us in peace? Is there a reason you choose now to kidnap me?"

I laugh again. "I need one? Peach, dear, any time is as good as the next to kidnap you, for any and every purpose it serves!" Wait. Did I call her "dear" now? Bowser, back it up already. A Hammer Brother tosses a hammer at Mario, but he dodges it. His brother stomps on my soldier. Damn him.

"Give it up, Bowser!" The green one calls. "You're outmatched—whoa!" A few Koopas rush him.

"Bwa ha ha! Hilarious! I'd stay for more, but I've got more plans to keep up with." They're in progress, but they don't need to know that. I jab a finger out at the princess. "Peach! You're coming with me! Mario! Why don't you stand aside? Your brother needs you and a doctor soon!"

"Luckily I've dabbled a bit in that then," he challenges, a smirk on his face. His confidence against me is brimming right from the start. I love it. "My brother will be just fine. I can't say the same for you."

"There're a lot of same things we can't say, huh?" What? Where did that…? Oh crap, they're looking quizzically at me. Quick, cover it! "Like…bomb's away!"

…Pause. Why is there a pause? "I said, bomb's away!" I roar. Late to the stage, a squad of Bob-ombs rushed up and lit their fuses. Mario attempted to rush forward, but that just made it easier for me. I spat a fireball at the back Bob-omb, lighting it up and causing a chain explosion.

* * *

** [Mario] **

Coughing, sputtering, I tried my best to see around the smoke and fire from the Bob-omb blast, but to no avail.

"Mario!" Peach cried out from behind me.

"Hey! Someone grab Peach, let's go!" Bowser roared aloud. No, not today! Turning on my heel, I rushed back and dove to protect Peach. Finding her, I listened to heavy footfall nearing us, approaching faster than I imagined.

"Mario, help!" Peach called out as Koopas approached. I leaped onto one, knocking it from its shell. With a shout, I hurled it at the second one, a direct hit smashing it off the stage. Smirking, I turned to Peach as I heard something whizzing through the—

* * *

** [Bowser] **

Blasted smoke is everywhere. But I'm right on top of Peach now. Cannon fire erupts from around us as I reach forward. Wood tears up from nearby, shavings flying into my eyes.

"Damn it all!" I shout, reaching out and grabbing the princess. She practically falls into me. Keeping my eyes shielded (and a little shut), I try to escape, nearly falling off the stage. "Hey! Get me an escort!"

"This way sir!" A deeper voice called. Koopatrol. That's surprising; they just began training new regiments a week ago. In spite of an unexpected appearance, he guides us from the stage and to a rope. Feeling for it, I grab it with one hand and we're lifted from the ground. Several soldiers call out and I try to look as they jump back aboard. An attempt to mock Peach over another successful kidnapping is met with a sharp breeze into my eyes.

No matter. A kidnapping is a kidnapping. With a roar and laughter, I bellow out to the Toads below. "BWA HAHAHA! Peach is mine again! Rescue her if you dare, Mario! Soon, the entire Mushroom Kingdom will be mine! GWA HAHAHA!" Listening to cries of aguish grow faint, I feel the rope tugged up by my army.

Scrambling back on board, I rub my eyes. A few tears slide, but no major damage. Reaching forward, I tapped the Koopatrol.

"Send word to my son and the Koopalings to proceed with our plans."

"Right away, sir." With that, he marches off and I motion to gather my crew's attention.

"Good work, soldiers! As expected, everything went perfectly."

"Uh…sir?" some soldier starts. Koopa underling. I ignore him.

"Here, let's get the princess tied up," as I motion for some Hammer Bros. to get the ropes, but once they look at me, they can't move.

"Sir?" the same Koopa calls out, more persistent.

Annoyed, I snap, "What?"

"You…may want to take a look at your, um…hostage."

Raising an eyebrow, I look down past my arm and see bright blue overalls. My eye twitches a bit as I carelessly drop him. His red hat flops off a bit.

"We…we kidnapped Ma-Mario?!" a soldier's surprised cry rings out and several others begin to join in on a storm of conversation. I'm frozen. He groans, but I'm barely listening. Shouts sound around me, some pleads for orders, but my eyes are concentrated on Mario as he rises.

"B…Bowser…!" he tries, coughing a bit and sputtering my name out. He's wobbling and I'm tempted to prop him up. But that's a weakness that I can't afford the crew to see.

The crew. My army. Mario…here. Crap! I need to get myself together (after all, this isn't a first). The hero has himself more put together as he tries to steady his fists. No, he'll lose for certain here. My army will swarm him in no time.

"Knock him out!" I call out in a more panicked voice than I would have liked. A Hammer Brother takes the blunt side of his hammer and does so, encountering a somewhat surprising lack of resistance. Mario falls flat to the floor.

The excited clamoring begins. "He's still weak!"

"We got him!"

"Now's our chance!"

"We can end him now!"

"No!" my own voice roars out to everyone's surprise, myself included. All eyes turn to me, perplexed. They realize that I should want him dead. Quickly, Bowser, come up with something!

"We, uh, we are not going to make him a martyr. The last thing the Mushroom Kingdom needs is a reason to suddenly grow strong. And it could take them years, but they will make our fights more tedious than need be."

Murmuring begins among them as they take it in. I don't know if they're convinced yet. "We can torture him and kill him when the time is right, but we need to do this slowly and carefully. They need to believe that Mario still has the upper hand and can escape at some point. They need to fall into the belief that if they obey each of my demands, that Mario can eventually put an end to my so-called 'tyranny.' When they've given us everything, then we can crush their hopes. Then we can kill Mario."

More muttering commences, spreading all around the ship. Eventually, I see a good number of soldiers nod. They are still very tense, but they trust their king. I rouse them to continue the trip back to the castle. Mario is…mine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, that was a big one! Yes, that's the latest so far!
> 
> Honestly, I was going for a story/letter mix, since I had one suggestion for each. The trouble was my writing for the letters, which made this chapter much longer than needed and took too much away from the immersion of the overall story. (Trust me, I tried really hard there.) Ultimately, I wanted to try the story feel, just to test the waters and see if anyone would like it. If so, I'll continue story style writing along with the letter exchanges. If not, letters all the way! (Also, I was kind of unsure about the dream sequence, hence there only being one. Let me know if that's cool to use or not.)
> 
> All right, so I found perspective swapping fun, but I'm not sure if anyone else would enjoy that. Also, I'm worried that my writing for Bowser and Mario ended up being too similar, so if that bothered you, let me know. If you enjoyed it, let me know and the multiple point-of-view style might return in the future!
> 
> … --- … 
> 
> Now, actual plot discussion. This chapter ups the ante a bit since I wanted a little more than an "excuse plot" for Mario and Bowser to end up together. (It was either this or a casual stroll which the two meet, read the notes, and suddenly declare love...or a tennis match! Score: love-love; hur-hur, I'm funny and original.) They don't get a lot of love thinking this time around, but they've got the next chapter to do that again. (And it may take a while, but they will! Guaranteed...mwahaha!) Besides, kidnapping is dramatic and the second genre is drama. It fits! (Right?)
> 
> In my mind, the two of them wouldn't possibly be able to meet under even sort of normal circumstances. And though it has been done before, Bowser kidnapping Mario just doesn't sit right with me. It's happened, it's possible, but it still feels weird. (Though, I really would love to see the other characters play hero more. Luigi's good, but Peach and Toad could use more love. Or even...the spin-off characters?! Gasp!)
> 
> Also, I'm trying to include the other characters as well, so that they're a little more than wallflowers. Some lines for Luigi, Peach, Toadsworth, Bowser Junior, a Koopatrol, and even Stammers the Goomba! Oh, and a bunch of Toads and Koopas/other minions. Not that the focus is going to shift too far from Bowser/Mario, but now we've got more characters to play with. (I might include a snippet in the next chapter as an assault aftermath in Luigi's P.O.V., maybe. Dynamics!)
> 
> … --- … 
> 
> Wow, I even had to break up my comments for ranting too long. Flat what. Anyway, let me know what you think of this story so far! Fun? Exciting? Hopefully not too predictable. Again, please share and comments and criticisms! Improving my writing is part of the experience, as are the reader reactions. (Also, I really appreciate knowing that people are reading and following this, since I know it's a lot to read and keep up with.)
> 
> Until next time, keep your eyes open for the next chapter! Thanks again for reading!


	4. A Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions rise as Bowser continues both his siege on the Mushroom Kingdom, and begins to level with his recent captive: Mario. Loose lips allow for secrets to spread.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back for more? All right, let's get right into the fallout!
> 
> As a reminder, there are multiple character perspectives in the coming chapters, with changes indicated by line breaks, and it accompanies the character names in brackets. (Those signify who's currently telling the perspective.)

Dearly Beloved,

We are gathered here today to have a complete and total panic attack.

As anticipated, my troops managed to pull off the attack on the Mushroom Kingdom's finest without a hitch. That's the fantastic part. Somehow, I'm the one that managed to ruin that and captured Mario by accident.

Me! How is that remotely possible?! Out of my entire army, I bungled the attempt to kidnap the princess and use her for extortion to overtake her kingdom. Here I am, claiming to be the most intelligent being no one will ever truly know, and how do I prove that? By acting perfectly in character and pulling about the dumbest move I've made in ages. Brilliant!

He may be their luscious little hero, but how far would Peach campaign to get Mario back? She wouldn't turn over the castle and courtyard for him, that's certain. They still have his brother too! Blast it all to hell and back again, they'll probably send him out to save Mario the second there's a chance.

Another issue for the damage control is that my soldiers are most certainly suspicious over my actions from the kidnapping. My own miscalculation on the attack is what caused me to catch Mario instead of Peach. He may be heavier than her, but I let my ambition cloud my common sense. Magically, no one noticed until we already climbed on board, not even that Koopatrol! To be fair, they're specifically trained to not question orders, but this was an obvious point to disobey! After that, I continue to think I have Peach and make myself a total fool in front of my men, cry out for help when Mario wakes up, and proceed to lose it with them around.

And as the pièce de résistance, I spare him. The monster they see, the one that stomps down on so many fellow soldiers, was right within their grasp. All they needed was my blessing and they were free to tear him apart, gaining retribution for their lost comrades. But what does their king do? He spares the enemy. Their enemy, his en…my enemy! It should be one in the same! It's that simple!

I should hate him.

So why do I only love him more?

It's just stupid! I can't even think of more eloquent ways to put it because it's just that obvious! He loves Peach! He hates me! What do I have to do to convince myself that he'll never be mine, never the way I want him? How can I even feel anything for him? It has to be lust, not love! We barely know each other. Hell, he doesn't even know the real me.

Why do I torment myself?

Why do I keep going on like this?

Why am I still writing every little thought of fear?

This is an opportunity for me. Before I questioned how someone so mighty could be so frail. Sure, I'm afraid and insecure, but here and now, I have a chance that I beg for. He'll be annoyed, and probably angry, but once he calms down, I can tell him my little secret…wherein little means gigantic abomination that I've guarded so carefully that I planned to die before telling a soul about it. Not even a Boo can find what I've written about. (Especially since I burn half of the notes, but that's beside the point.)

Do I really want to tell him now? I know every possible consequence right? He'll either reject me, or the world will reject us. And then there's the nigh impossible universal acceptance, but there's no chance Junior will understand. I did that to myself, teaching him the charade. Hindsight says how foolish that was, but it worked flawlessly at the time. Now I understand. I know the consequences, I truly do.

So I can't tell him. That would ruin both of us. Destroy everything all of the outliers and whatever were left between us. It's just not worth it.

Reminder: I need a love therapist.

Bound by duty,

Bowser

* * *

** [Bowser] **

Puzzling over the note, I'm thinking about burning this one. It felt good to get it out though. Grabbing a magic scepter, I cast a spell to open a safe. This reminds me of how no one asks where the Koopalings acquired their own scepters. Then again, no one is usually bold enough to ask us about anything.

Quickly, I punch in the combination, stuff yet another sheet of paper in there, close it, and magically seal it away once again. Nostalgia will ruin me sometime, but not today. A knock sounded at my door.

"Yes?" That's too polite. Add a little fire. "What is it?!" Better.

"Lord Bowser, sir," comes a Koopa's voice. Female. "We've successfully put the prisoner away."

"Good." And why did I need to know that? "Any trouble?"

"We kept it under control." Seriously, do I want to know this?

"Excellent. Is there news of my son and the Koopalings?"

"Their takeovers are underway, sir." Could she add a little personality? I understand she's following orders, but I'm not that harsh…wait, no, to them I am. Oh well.

"Very good. Have someone send a report once their work is complete."

"Yes sir." Good, now jump as high as the tallest tower.

"That will be all, soldier."

"Sir, if I may," she starts, still monotone and emotionless. "I'm looking to become a member of the Koopatrol."

"Ok, so go do it. This isn't the ancient days where the kingdoms were beginning; I've got a number of female soldiers as Koopatrol trainees." Everybody counts where every body counts.

"We're required to have a royal seal of approval before applying, sir."

"Right, of course." Opening the door, I see the purple-shelled Koopa with matching shoes and ruby eyes waiting for me. I take the paper she's holding and sign it quickly, reaching back to grab a stamp. She's somewhat unnerving, with her differences from the usual troop, but I pretend to take no notice. Placing an official seal of approval next to my signature, I hand the letter back.

"There you go, Koopella, all set," I murmur, catching the startle in her eyes at the use of her name. She recovers quickly, and takes the letter with a nod.

"Thank you, Lord Bowser. It is my honor to serve you." And with that, she turns to leave, but pauses.

"Is there something else?" I inquire and she turns back.

"The prisoner wished to see you, sir. We denied him and we assumed that we wouldn't mention it, but…I think you should know. It's your decision, sir." She walked out of the hall before I could question her further, leaving me to my thoughts once again.

* * *

** [Luigi] **

It's really terrible how instances of calmness can be so abruptly taken away.

I watch outside Peach's throne room, looking at the cleaning crews in the distance from the attack earlier today. It's already dark out, but they're still trying to undo Bowser's damage. It took a good few months for the Toads to work on everything and I feel for them. The Bob-omb explosions left craters across the road, grass was shred, and the bridge went to pieces. Toadstool Road being left to ruins would be a bit of an understatement.

Glancing down, I've got his speech notes in my hand. I haven't read it yet. It's a bit torn up, but I managed to find it while helping the princess return here. Gently passing it between my fingers, I tuck it away and return my attention outside.

"Master Luigi?" comes Toadsworth's voice. "Are you quite all right, my boy?"

"H-Huh? Yeah, I'm fine." I whirl around and see the old Toad staring at me. "Just a little worried about Mario." More like freaked out, but not that anyone's paying that much attention to me.

Case in point, Toadsworth just pats my shoulder with his cane. "There, there, Master Mario knows what he's doing. I'm certain that he'll be out in no time." Everyone seems to forget this isn't the first time Mario's been kidnapped. By Bowser. And that he needed to be rescued. At least one of those times was by me.

I should be rushing out to go save him now, but usually, Bowser kidnappings have more trouble behind them. We're waiting in Peach's castle to learn more news. The princess herself, however, is left to pace while we wait. I want to calm her down, but she's much too bothered to listen.

Turning back to the window, I wait quietly for someone to speed in and tell us what else they know. I may not be the bravest brother, but even I can't wait forever. If no one comes in the next hour, I'll—

"Princess!" A call sounds as the large red throne room doors open. Peach stops and faces the front of the room. Toadsworth and I follow as the Toad runs forward. "We've got a bad situation on our hands, your highness!"

"Yes, Mario has been kidnapped," Peach sighs. She seems…annoyed? By the Toad? That's unlike her.

"No, your majesty, it's worse than that!" The frantic Toad sounds, jumping in place a bit. "Bowser's minions are trying to take over the rest of the kingdom!"

My heart sinks as I realize my impending mission got a taller order. Fit for the taller brother, I suppose. Swallowing hard, I focus as Peach responds with a flat, "Go on."

* * *

** [Bowser] **

Making my way to the chambers behind my throne room, I move to the private cell, usually reserved for Peach. Two Koopas turn and look surprised upon my arrival.

"L-Lord Bowser? S-Sir?"

"Leave us."

They looked as though they would have protested, were it not their king giving the orders. Nodding, the duo walked away, leaving me with him. Mario stood up and walked over. He looked ruffled, with his vibrant clothes a little messier than usual, maybe a few holes, and his hat was down over his left eye, but overall, he was still in good shape. (Shut up, I mean his condition, not body.) Upon getting a closer look at me, he raised his visible eyebrow, still frowning.

"Am I actually speaking to the Koopa King? Or is this another False Bowser trick?"

His voice sounded dry, with a touch of rasp to it. No one must have given him any food or drink yet. Obviously; after all, they hate him, unlike Peach.

"This is the one and only," I grunt and can't help but smile. He probably doesn't realize it, but it's not my usual boastful grin, but a genuine one.

"Funny how you grabbed me instead of Peach," he continues, with an aim to hit my pride, I'd imagine. "Something that elaborate seems like it would make her the intended target."

A chuckle escapes me. "She was, at first," I begin with a little truth, but decide not to give in to him that easily. "I realized, however, that getting you out of the way might be worth my while. If they refuse my demands, then who can stop me from kidnapping Peach now?"

Mario swallowed hard; tables successfully turned. He coughs and continues, "I know several people that can."

"Who?" I laugh this time. "A bunch of miserable Toads? Or your little, green brother? They're both far too cowardly to face me."

"They'll do what they need to." He returns this quicker than I expected. There's a pause and we stare each other down. He snorts and then starts again. "Honestly, I thought Peach's personal prison would look nicer, or be more comfortable."

Laughing again, I answer: "Contrary to the popular belief, Peach's cages and cells usually don't have any more special treatment than other prisoners' jails get. Maybe a ribbon for a mocking decoration, but that's about it."

"Ah." He nods, and I can't tell if it's meant to be condescending or not. He pushes up his cap and I see his hair is also messy underneath. Not enough to cover his deep blue eyes; not enough to spare me. "Why do you kidnap her?"

Isn't it obvious? "I want her kingdom. They're not willing to hand it over, so this is my preferred method."

"Bowser, this is constant." He sounds a little more upset this time. "Why do you really take her?"

"What do you want me to say?" Returning a question with another is an obvious avoidance tactic, but I really don't understand.

"The truth," he sounds back. "There's more to you than just kidnapping princesses and taking control of kingdoms, isn't there?"

"Well sure, I've got my kid, actually ruling over my own kingdom, uh…" Wait. What was he trying…?

"That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?" I'm impatient now, especially because he sounds more broken every time he speaks. "I'm not a mind reader, Mario. Spell it out."

He looks into my eyes this time. They're as beautiful in the dark as they are under the sunlight. I'm searching them for something and he's looking for something else in mine. What is he trying to get at?

"Do you love her?" It just comes out softly and suddenly. I need to blink to focus again. I should step back to better assess everything, but I'm too into him.

"What?" I let out, even as I've figured it out.

"Do you love Peach?" He asks it, a little louder now. His face looks crestfallen as if he already knows the answer. And right here, I want to lie. Right now, I can crush him, make him hurt for all the ways that he tortures me. It's easy, isn't it? After all, I know he loves her. And he thinks I do, as if we have some weird love triangle going on that will never end. What Mario doesn't know is that the triangle gets a little more twisted than that. But if I tell him the truth, then what happens?

I don't know. And I'm curious to see how he'll act.

With that, I shake my head, but I realize he's not paying attention. "No," I grunt a bit, and he looks up with the most astonished look. So, let me make it clear. "No, I don't love Princess Peach." I come close to the truth, but I wait.

Mario's eyes have widened. His mouth opens to say something, but he doesn't know where to begin. The expression reads totally perplexed. If it's not love, then why do I do it? Why do I claim it is? Why do I continue the farce that everyone else so easily believes?

He doesn't see it. He most definitely doesn't get it.

Mario is a moron.

A smile creeps back onto my face, but it's more of a grimace. I doubt he'll see the distorted parts of my eyes, the grin.

"Does that make it easier for you?" I taunt, covering up my emotions. "Or are you more worried for her safety than ever before? You can keep your precious princess all to yourself. I just need to take her kingdom first."

There's nothing left to say here. I turn to leave, begin walking away.

"If not for her, then who?" he blurts out.

My hand is against the door and I stare at the claw, and then let my gaze drift to the door. Why are half of the things red around here? …Why else?

A deep breath in, a deep sigh out. "You," I whisper as I push the door open, certain that he couldn't hear it. The guards walk back in as I trudge out. My heart's racing and as the doors close again, I take a minute to control myself before walking back to my quarters.

That's the closest moment we've ever shared. Yet that moment is already so far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, Bowser's crushed. On the bright side, he's made progress! ...Sorta. Um...how about that Luigi perspective?! Whoo, Luigi representation! But, oh crap, he's got Mario's letter! The suspense is brutal!
> 
> Anyway, I looked into different Koopa characters that exist and never found the name Koopella, hence the new character. (Peach being the only visible girl wouldn't be any fun, even if she's getting ready to bust heads.) More importantly, I don't think we've seen a lot of standard Koopa Troop members with distinguished genders, and I don't see Bowser as a discriminatory type (he'd use anyone to make ends meet), so I figured, why not? Stammers, Koopella...Goomba, Koopa...guess who plays too much Paper Mario?! Ahahaha...I need to stop, but I can't. (Honestly, Koopatrols are the most underused villains in Super Mario history and have so much potential.) Why am I talking so much? Help.
> 
> Seriously though, I enjoyed getting the letter and perspective swapping in a chapter together, however briefly. I'm going to continue that for the next chapter, yeah! ...Hopefully. But I liked it being a little more focused again, since the last chapter bounced around a lot. At the same time, it didn't totally ignore what happened with the secondary characters, so that too. Usually, if I add a character and name them, I want to make sure they do something. Otherwise, they don't need to be added. (Or serve a meaningless existence only to become cannon fodder. Mwahaha!) Whatever works.
> 
> So, what will Mario do about being a prisoner, and what he's learned? In fact, what are Luigi & Peach going to do about Mario? Or does Bowser control the situation? If you'd like, let me know your thoughts in the reviews. Comments and criticisms welcome! And thank you all for reading this far! It's really exciting since this is my biggest story as of posting. This is also has the most views as of posting, so double bonus points. (Though it's mostly the first chapter, so that might not be so great, huh? Still, I will keep trying!) Thanks again!
> 
> P.S.: I heard this pairing has the name of "Bowsario." IT HAS A NAME, YOU GUYS. LET'S MAKE THIS SHIP SAIL! (Lolshipping.) But really, this is still nonexistent. Even if I'm not serious about it, this should have some backing, right? Link and Ganon[dorf] do, and they've got a lot. (Then again, Legend of Zelda has, what, 3 main characters? Mario's got 4 and arguments could be made for at least 8, depending upon who you count.) ...Bowsario forever, guys. Altogether now!


	5. A Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still imprisoned, Mario is forced to meet with Bowser to send Peach his demands. Exhausted, and still looking for answers, it suddenly becomes a different confrontation than either is used to, breaking limits they thought they could never reach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning: this chapter is super long. Like, it just beat up Chapter 3 to take the title. That's hardcore. Seriously though, make sure you've got a good amount of time to read. Stuff happens and I'm not sure if I'm over or under with my estimations. No spoilers until you finish it! (Or skim it, that could work.) Happy reading!

Hello,

I'm not quite sure who will read this, how long it'll be until it gets seen. But it helps me pass the time while I wait here in this dungeon. Otherwise, I fear that I'll grow mad from the wait, insane from solitude.

My options are limited to waiting, sleeping, eating small amounts delivered, and planning on what to do next. The fourth is more difficult that I would have imagined; it makes sense how Princess Peach can't break free so easily when she's captured. If I so much as try to battle my way out, I'll lose by sheer force, easily outnumbered. There are no hidden escapes, not to my knowledge anyway, that I could take out. Persuasion is definitely out of the question, as neither Bowser nor his troops would be willing to listen. Certainly, there must be another way, but it's difficult to come up with a plan over guard racket, threats on how I'll next be tortured, or overwhelming exhaustion from tolerating my captors, my wounds.

One frightening thought is if they do decide to kill me at some point. Surely, it won't be soon, but it could happen. His forces detest me. He does himself, but he hasn't shown his true rage yet, unlike his soldiers. It's understandable, I've mentioned it before, but it's quite terrifying when I'm at their mercy.

Worse still, I don't have a rejuvenating 1-Up Mushroom on me; they're extremely powerful, enough to bring all life back into the user, but quite rare. Harvesters from Peach's Castle look to find the mushrooms, saving them for when Luigi and I journey to rescue her, to combat. Use one and no abyss is too deep, no lava is too hot, no enemy is too strong. The user will live. Unfortunately, we're out of the supply, and didn't press the matter during peacetime. Everyone hoped it would have lasted.

Alas, should I die, here is where I will truly lie. Such is the mantra that keeps me awake, restless, until I can stay awake no longer. Two days have passed since my kidnapping, but I've fallen in and out of slumber more times than I care to count.

Dreaming hardly occurs, but it's faint when it does, nothing like my nightmare from before. Bowser confessed to me that he does not love Peach. Obviously, the first instinct is not to believe it. After all, who would?

Letting that moment play over in my mind, however, has led me to decide that he's telling the truth, that he does not love the Princess. Following that leads to many questions, but I didn't even get his answer to my first question, let alone figuring out the rest. He wants me to be afraid for her, for the kingdom. All that I have become fearful of? Not understanding. If not for her, if everything is not to impress her, win her, then whom or what for?

I wish he would tell me. I want to tell him.

He told me his true feelings, making me feel obligated to follow. Should I be so bold? Tell him the secret that could ruin me, the one that gives him control over me?

Should I truly tell him that I love him?

My reservations on doing so are clear. However, I've never considered what to do about it should I suffer an untimely death. Who would think of that? Now that I can, though, what do I do? At this point, what's left to lose? If he rejects me, then it's clear and I can die. If he accepts me, loves me back, then his army will kill me, so I will die. He could call them off, but that couldn't be so simple. Whether on the King's orders or not, someone here will kill me, once the opportunity is presented.

What if I'm not meant to die here though? What if someone does manage to rescue me soon? What then? Do I risk never telling him and hope that I am saved, let the secret live on? Should I give in and just make sure that it is out of the way? Is it about surrender, relenting, or is it about letting truth have its day?

Ah, there's little room left on the paper that I brought with me. This will have to end here and I'll need to figure out my next steps soon, or I'll lose my mind, slip away. Until I can write again though, this is the end for now.

Still breathing as of writing,

Mario

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

With the last of it written, I fold and tuck the page into my shoe, keeping it pressed to the bottom. There are no good places for hiding, and I'd prefer to keep it on me than somewhere in here, to be found easily.

Torch light down here isn't very helpful, so I still feel around the dark, almost black cell, locating the cot to sit on. It's not really a bed, far too cold and lacking proper care, but it works. Lying back on it, I run my hands across my body, feeling various bruises, small cuts. Nothing damaging, nor permanent, but painful, more than I've felt in a while. Parts of my gloves are ripped open, allowing me to feel each sore spot, each torn fabric of clothing.

After I let out a long and heavy sigh, the doors open. The two guards outside my jail turn and watch a new Koopa walk in. He whispers to them briefly, and then exits. Nodding, they turn to me and I rise, force myself up. They've got a matching pair of dark grins, wicked smiles, on their faces.

"Good news," one speaks up, something nasty about his tone. "You'll be going with Bowser to take your first hostage photos. We'll be sending demands out soon after."

They cackle together, as if it's something humorous. Perhaps they feel that defaming me will somehow break me. It's going to take more than that though. Unfortunately, I suspect they'll bring additional soldiers to…well, "escort" me.

* * *

 

**[Peach]**

Two days have passed since Mario was taken. If I had been the one taken, I'd imagine he would have rushed out immediately to Bowser's Castle. The issue is that Bowser moved sooner than anyone anticipated, with the rest of the kingdom recently falling to his forces. Unlike Bowser, or even Mario, I await a final tally before I will make any moves with our forces.

It's only half of my decision, though. Part of me wants to act impulsively and charge off to go save Mario. Contrary to people's beliefs, I can handle myself and would go if I had the opportunity. The same part is still mentally abusing the dazzled princess that couldn't help Mario from the attack. However, I still have a kingdom to run, and officials that simply refuse the notion of me saving the man who constantly does the same for me, always for so little in return.

They lie to me though; I know that they're forcing me back in order to keep me safe, so that they won't have to deal with the kingdom falling into complete disarray. And it's the part of me that sees and understands their viewpoint that plays the strategic route; waiting and being cautious, until we can see each step Bowser has taken.

The sun has nearly set and I sit alone in my throne room. Though it doesn't last for nearly as long as I prefer, it's refreshing to have my thoughts to myself. I only wish I could talk with Mario about everything; he's a good listener.

Abruptly, taking me from these thoughts, the throne doors burst open. Luigi rushes in, with two Toads, blue and yellow in tow. They appear ragged, with slightly scuffled clothing.

"What happened?" I lightly gasp as I rose.

"Grasslands…overwhelming…" pants Luigi.

I cover my mouth with my hands for a moment before lowering them slightly. "No, that can't be right," I protest, "The Grasslands are the closest to the castle!"

"They're holding…positions," Luigi responds, still catching his breath. "Maybe they are…awaiting orders?"

"Then we simply cannot wait. We must respond!"

My fists are clenched and I'm ready to begin sounding orders across the castle, but Luigi shakes his head.

"We'll try again," he breathes in and out, slowly recomposing. "Easier. It's easier to send smaller groups. Us. They'll think we act independently, like usual." The two Toads nod in agreement, still breathless.

"This isn't wise," I shake my head. "We need to retaliate—"

"Not yet," interrupts Luigi. "They must have plans for you still. It's taking longer than usual for them to issue threats and they changed too many tactics."

"Luigi…"

"We'll try again," he repeats. Beckoning the two Toads to follow him, the trio rushes back out. A heavy sigh escapes me.

Though he isn't so persistent about it as the retainers are, I know that he's protecting me as well. However, I understand that he's worried for his brother's safety. And as valuable as an asset Mario is to this kingdom, he still does not hold the proper ranks that would let me meet my desire for a full-scale attack.

Retribution that Bowser's had coming for ages. This would weaken my forces, including my protection, which would leave me vulnerable to another kidnapping attempt. If they were to succeed, even with Luigi left to save the day, my kingdom would still fall. It's too much to toy with my people's lives like this, constantly endangering them and leaving the potential to have their kingdom overturned by a tyrant. Allowing this would be inexcusable, and my guards will be increasing tenfold soon enough. To keep the kingdom alive, safe, I need to maintain the throne.

It pains me to do so, but I relented again, and will continue to wait.

* * *

 

**[Junior]**

Waiting on anything is boring. Waiting on Dad's orders, waiting on total takeover of the Mushroom Kingdom, waiting on news, it's enough to drive anyone nuts!

A Magikoopa walks into my Airship cabin, fixing his glasses.

"Yeah, what is it?" I demand. Dad says that I need to work on bossing troops around.

"Reports from the Koopalings, young sire," the Magikoopa answers. "Ludwig, Iggy, and Roy have overtaken their respective sectors completely. Wendy and Morton have made strong progress, with the tropics and mountains conquests respectively. Lemmy's takeover is underway as we speak. Larry's forces had an issue with Luigi, but his forces have dealt with the issue."

"Larry better not mess this up," I grumble. "Anyway, that's good news, so good for you. But I want total domination by this point! If the Koopalings aren't done by the end of today, there will be super serious consequences!"

"Yes sir, young sire. I will issue your orders immediately. Any messages for your father now?"

"When we're done later today, sure." I wait, but then I have to ask something. "Did he send anything?"

"Not yet." Weird. Dad usually issues orders for us every day or other day. No one's heard from him since he told us to takeover. I wonder how different this plan is.

"Ok, fine, whatever," I nod. "Now get my orders out!"

"Yes sire," he bows, and then walks out.

Dad must be waiting on us to finish up before he tells us more. He wouldn't hide anything from me. Well…ok, he might, but…I'm sure he's just waiting on us! Either way, we'll be back home soon. We better be.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

There's a slight spark in me that's begging for me to build it. Several soldiers surround me though, and I understand this is not the most ideal situation to suddenly spur on an attack. Still, I crave an escape, or rather, an engagement, with me stomping on each Koopa, Hammer Bro., and Magikoopa that forces me forward.

That won't get me out of this though. Even if I could take them at once, I would still need to find my way out of here. The Magikoopa are casting hexes above us, blocking my view of the corridors we pass through. Were there any chance that I could memorize a path to an exit, they've made certain to take it away from me.

Annoyed, practically blinded by the flashing, vibrant, multi-colored spells waving around, I drop my head and watch the floor shift from nicely sorted gray stones to luxurious, decorated red carpets. Truthfully, perhaps surprisingly, we have yet to pass the lava pits that I normally need to cross around the castle. Perhaps they haven't had the need in a while, similar to Peach's lowered guardsmen.

Though unlike Peach's soldiers, Bowser's forces don't have a hero they rely on. Therefore, they need to stay well trained, to properly protect their king.

Admirable, or it would be more so, were it not for this predicament.

Time has passed until we finally reach an end, with the ring of enemies around me easing into a halt. A Hammer Bro. takes the liberty of shoving me forward, into what I'm barely able to make out as a doorway, pushing me past it and slamming the door shut behind me.

"Welcome," he chuckles. I don't even need to look up to realize Bowser's in here as well. What I do glance at are the spiral stairs that I imagine we'll be climbing.

"What, no rest?" I retort. It's justified though; I'm exhausted and was marched all the way over here. The least he could do give me a minute to gather my bearings.

His grin is almost wicked. "Not a chance," he sneers. "Go on."

Letting out a sigh, I drag my feet forward, placing them on the first stone step. There shouldn't be any motivation for me to continue, but I feel him place his hand on my back. Gently, not rough. Confusing.

"The faster you move, the sooner you can rest," he mutters. "You want to struggle and have me drag you up, that's fine. However, I think you should take the small choices that I give you."

"Is that what you call it?" I snap back, or would if I had energy to put behind it. The words just feel like they tumble out of my mouth rather than cutting at him like I want. Stepping forward, his hand left my back. Suddenly, I feel a chill; his missing touch, warm and oddly pleasant, is noticeable. Shaking it off, I continue up, with Bowser steadily at my heels.

Still perturbed by the situation, I can't help but ask, "Why do you pride your troops on making this place so complicated to navigate?"

He laughs, and it feels condescending, mocking. "You don't know the first thing about tactics, do you? More long halls, more complicated turns, and more climbs are designed to weaken invaders." He pauses a moment before adding, "I don't know how to deal with stubborn asses that bound and bounce through every room though. What keeps you so damn energetic?"

My mouth curves to a smile, but I can't manage the laugh I want to come with it. "You wouldn't quite understand."

"Try me."

"Well, to keep it short," I think for a moment, then continue, "I get kicks out of stomping down one enemy and leaping to the next one." He's good at it, but I can play insult games too.

"Huh, is that all?" He murmurs, almost…disappointed? "Here I am thinking you've got a special stamina power-up or whatever. Just good exercise, ricocheting off of my troops' heads, and getting your stupid princess are all you need?"

"Something like that," I chuckle and cough softly.

"Hey, are you dying after only two days?" he asks. "They should be feeding you. After all, I did say that I needed you." He almost purrs that last part. Or is that just my imagination, delusion again?

My next response is stifled by a coughing fit, and I need to pause my climb. "They're still not the most ideal living conditions," I manage after the coughs.

"Poor thing," he coos, and I can't tell if he's mocking me.

Looking back, I find my eyes on level with his. An obvious change occurs, his expression softening once he looks at me, eyebrows rise, peering into pain. We connect, and it lasts a small moment, lingering for both of us. Empty air waits to be filled by nothing. His eyebrows lower again.

"Eyes front," he snaps. "And keep moving." I turn back and obey.

We quietly continue for a bit. Why does he always have such endless staircases? More importantly, though, are my questions from last time.

"You never answered me," I start. "Last time, I asked about you kidnapping Peach. If it's not for her love, why do you do it?"

"Does it need a reason?" he questions, not missing a beat. "Seriously, just because love is what motivates you to play hero doesn't mean that it helps me play the villain. Did you ever stop to think that there are some really nasty people out there?"

"Even you need something to fight for," I counter, positive he isn't sharing the truth today.

"Whatever," he grumbles.

We continue to climb, each step more painful to land than the last. We come near a window, but it's shuttered. I stop here and turn again. He avoids my gaze.

"If I'm going to die here, could you at least let me look out again, see the world?"

"You're not dying today," he snaps, annoyed from my question. "And there's nothing out there that you haven't seen already."

"Perspectives change when we take a new approach to how we look things over," I offer. "Maybe you'll find something new out there too."

Bowser looks at me now, one eyebrow raised. Burning tension, I wonder if he can feel it, with us waiting here and looking into one another. Taking a calmer face in, his mouth closed, messy red hair, focused eyes. My mouth curls again into a smile. He frowns, suddenly looking annoyed.

"I don't know what you're playing at," he growls, "but if you're trying to pull one over on me, good luck."

"Do you think I'm going to jump out and try to escape?" My question flies out with a venom that I can't quite contain. "This high? Wait. How high up are we?"

"Please. You'd make the jump anyway." He turns me around. "Now enough! Keep climbing!"

Again, we fall silent and continue the relentless climb. We've passed several torches, dancing flames. I'm tempted to bat one over and make a move, but I'd have to hit Bowser to have a chance. Passing another one, I raise my arm, slowly, carefully. It's not enough and he smacks it down.

"Don't even think about it," snarls Bowser, and we keep moving, not missing a step.

Several steps later, I'm not sure what energy I had before, but it's expunged by now. My movement is sluggish, I feel my legs get caught on a step, and I fall. There's no hard landing though; he won't even give me that.

He laughs, "Well, I thought the overalls were a weird fashion statement, but I guess they're pretty practical." Bowser tugs back and I'm back on my feet.

"Thank you," I reply softly.

"Yeah, yeah," comes the muttered response.

Silence fills the stairwell once more. I lean back against the wall and take a breath.

"They won't risk her for me," I hear myself say in a hollow voice.

"They don't have to," he returns. "She will."

My head shakes. "No, she won't. My brother might, but I'm guessing you took over more than just the Grasslands." He doesn't answer. "Then, it'll take time."

"We're just getting started. I haven't even issued my threats yet." It's strange how he half comforts me, with plots of conquest. "I shouldn't even be telling you that much, but if it shuts you up and keeps you moving, it works."

"Why does this one feel so different?"

"You're letting it get to you. I'm not doing anything different from usual."

"Aren't you?"

Bowser's quiet again. He glances at me, but turns away. "Just move."

"Can't you talk to me?"

"No. Move."

"Why not?"

He lets out a heavy sigh and moves to scoop me up. I bounce forward and up a step to dodge him, not conceding. Not now.

"Explain to me," I persist, but I don't know how. "You actually bothered to visit me, you're being civil and talking with me—"

"I'm going for a new image," he interrupts and misses me again. "Come on!"

I keep talking. "You're tell me things that you've never spoken about before—"

"I'm sick of them," he snaps. "You don't know what it's like to hold everything—"

My turn to be disruptive: "You even try to keep me in good spirits and keep me healthy? Why?"

"You're my bargaining chip!" he roars, turning to me. "Right now, you're a perfect little tool that I need to get that damn kingdom under my total control! I didn't plan to take you, but that changed and here we are!"

"What aren't you telling me?!" I yell back at him. "What are you hiding?!"

"What am I hiding?!" he bursts, nerves shot. "How about you, Mario?! What the hell are you hiding?! You're not this damned weak! You're just trying to pick at me, figure me out, question me, and for what?! How about you, pal?! Huh?! Why do you have to come save the day?! Why don't you just stay out of everything that doesn't even concern you?! Why can't you just submit now and wait until someone else saves the day?! Do you always have to play the hero?!"

He stops and pants, heavily, angrily. I don't even know what to say now.

"Why do you feel so damn self-righteous?" he growls again, only a bit calmer. "Why do you need to play hero? Do you need to impress her that desperately?"

He thinks…? Of course he does.

"If she's that much trouble, why not just move on? Find some other girl. There are plenty of idiots all over the kingdom that would take you. Does it have to be her?"

"It's not for her," I shake as I answer. "I'm not…I'm…"

"Speak! It's your turn to talk!"

He's…right. It is my turn. I suck in some air and then let it out slowly. Another breath and I start:

"It doesn't have to be her. Actually, it's not for her."

"That's a load of crap!"

"No, it's not. We're friends. She's not interested in me. And I'm…interested in someone else." That should not have come out.

"What?! Who?!" He leans in, demanding, but patient. Curious.

My heart is on fire. "It's not…" Name anyone. Daisy, she visits enough. "I don't…" Pauline, my ex, she'll do.

"Tell me!" He's close and has me against the wall. Rosalina, she's an option. His head moves closer to mine. "Mario." Run, now, there has to be an opening. "Talk." Bowser is inches from me and his breath is warm, still heavy. "If not Peach, then who?" I look up and my eyes are burning under his gaze.

"This isn't relevant," I try, shift my eyes to find a spot to slip out. No good.

"Yes it is. You don't love Peach, I don't love Peach, why the hell are we dealing with each other?"

"You threaten people! That's enough—"

"That's not why we brought this up." No. Think faster, Mario.

"Yes it is! You wanted to know why I play hero, and I do it to save people!"

He's not buying it. "Who? Tell me, who do you love?" I could name any other guy. Any of them, anyone else will do. I could make something up, anything.

"Why do you have to hide it from me?" he asks in a voice that's soft, hurt, innocent somehow. We're enemies! I don't owe him anything. We're supposed to hate each other. We don't share secrets. I don't need to say anything, and he wouldn't care. He'll pick me up and drag me upstairs any minute. He's never this patient. Never.

"I told you some things," Bowser whispers, and I still feel every breath. "Please?"

Is he really begging? Should I? I'm going to die anyway. No! No, I'm not. Just stall, he'll give in. Say anything else, change the topic, and breathe.

"Cornering me doesn't force me to say anything," I retort. Good.

"No, but it's more fun this way," he chuckles. Cave to me!

"Bowser, please." Think.

"No, Mario. It's a simple question." Snap back at him, anything.

"Why do you care? What, do you want to torture everyone I love?" Got him!

"That didn't even cross my mind. Pure curiosity right now." No!

"Why?!"

"Look, we were early for my threats," Bowser explains. "We're still going to be on time, I've got plenty of it to kill and be late with whatever I want to do next. I freed myself up just to get those pictures and warnings out early. Just to be with you." I can't think with him on top of me. "Wasn't that sweet of me?" Is he…flirting?

"No." He can't be.

"Tough. Talk. We've got hours to sit here." I'm going to break. I'm going to…

To…

…Just do it.

"You." I've officially lost it.

"What?" He backs up.

"You, all right? It's you."

Why does he look so confused? "I don't get it." What do you mean you don't…?!

"And you call me an idiot? It's you! You, you're why I play hero! You're the reason I risk my life and have everyone cheer for me! You're why I fight, why we fight! The only reason why I rescue her is because you have to take her! You and your stupid tail! You and your red hair and matching red eyes! Your lousy, toothy smile! You!"

A smile. His mouth forms the exact thing I just…! "What are you getting at?" He asks, with…amusement?! "Me, me, me, what about me?" What?!

"I love you!"

There! Damn him! I've played this exact scenario I don't know how many times, in how many ways, with all kinds of results, and yet it's nothing like this! An outburst. I just confessed to him in a fit of rage over his ignorance, his persistence, his…!

His arms wrap around me. I feel his body bouncing. Laughing? Laughing. He's busting a gut over this, great. That's one of the reactions and not a good—

"I don't believe this!" Bowser manages to get out. I try to shove out of it, but he's got me locked in tight.

"Yes, super," my deadpan response. "Now you know. Happy?"

"Very!" He loves every second.

"Wahoo. Can you kill me now?" Please do.

"Not a chance! Never! Not for the rest of…of…" He pulls himself back and looks at me. He still has a huge grin and his eyebrows are raised. I don't even want to look at him anymore. "You…you don't get it?"

"Look, I'm glad this is a great big joke to you, but I—"

"Joke? No! No, no, you don't understand."

"I'm pretty sure I do."

"Now I know you don't."

"Ok, I don't. Can we just drop it here?"

"Absolutely not! You have no idea how long I've waited for this!"

"…What?"

"I love you, too! I've…that's why! That's my explanation for everything! It's all for you! I do everything for you too! Oh my Stars, is this real? Are we really doing this?"

"…What?" I can't process this at all. Is he pinching himself?

"We love each other!" He exclaims. I feel a swift shift in pressure, tension. We do? "Mario, this is…us! This is really us! Ha! Ha-ha-ha! I don't believe that just happened finally! My heart feels like it's exploding right now!" He hugs me tightly again, his laughter vibrating against me. This is the most genuine joy I think I've ever seen from him. I smile.

This is real.

My arms move and I reach up to hold him. I'm shaking and he squeezes me. Should I say something? No, that might ruin it. He pulls back, his smile drooping a bit.

"Are you all right? …Please don't say you're lying." He's nervous. So am I.

"No. I just…what now?" Yep, I just ruined it.

"Huh?"

"Bowser, we can't." I feel like explaining, but I don't know where to start.

"…We can't," he echoes. "There's…a lot in the way." He understands.

I think I can feel my heart sinking. My arms drop away, but he grabs my hands, almost as a reflex.

"No."

"What?"

"Mario, we just…no, no this can't end here." Denial.

"You have to understand," I voice my thoughts. "Bowser, there are so many—"

"Obstacles. I know. But I'm not quitting here."

"There's nothing to quit, we haven't even started."

"Yes, we did. We started the minute I brought you here. Before that, even. We just made progress now."

"That's not—"

"Hush. We're not giving in here. We're not giving up before we really get rolling. I want this. You do too, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"No buts. I love you and I'm not about to lose this, lose us, now. This is the greatest moment that I've feared and begged for. We're going to do this." He lifts me up.

"Bowser…"

"We'll make this work. I promise." Determination.

"You can't promise that though. I want this too, but it's not—"

"Realistic? Fine by me, it feels fantastic either way." He carries me up to the top of the steps. Gently, he places me down. "Go with me on this, all right?" Whispers.

"…Ok."

He kicks the door open and tosses me in. "Get moving!" I stumble, very close to falling, but manage. Looking around, there's a video camera and a blue Shy Guy in this darkened room. It's almost blank, but torches lit around us make it menacing.

What's he up to?

"L-Lord Bowser! Greetings! You're right on time."

"Can it, Blue Guy!" Bowser thunders. That can't be his name. He grabs me by the collar. "Start recording!"

"Yes sir!" A red light signals that we're on.

"Princess Peach! I've got your precious little hero right here! By the time you get this message, my forces will have control over your kingdom. Surrender if you want to save Mario! Don't, and he's finished. I'll send you more terms soon."

The light goes off and the blue hooded Shy Guy packs it away. I'm stunned, even after Bowser lets me go.

"Blue!" He barks.

"Yes sir?"

"Send that out as soon as you hear word from my son. In the meantime, I want a cell arranged near my bedroom, even if it's just locking a spare room. I need him close to me at all times. Remind his guards that he is not to be harmed without my say-so."

"Is…is that safe?"

"Do you want to know what it is?"

"Um…"

"AN ORDER! Follow it!"

"Yes sir, absolutely, sir."

The Shy Guy scurries past us and down the stairs. I notice that he has a small pin that has Bowser's insignia on it.

"And keep at your project, Blue!" he calls after the Shy Guy.

"Of course, sir!" I hear him call back.

I wait a minute before I burst out, "What was that all about?! Are you out of your mind?! I thought we were—"

"We are." He has his mischievous grin on. "You're ok, right? Was that too rough?"

"I'm fine! Bowser, what are you doing? Peach won't just surrender, don't expect—"

"Yeah, I'm not, I know she won't." He paces.

"Then what was the point of that?"

"Maintaining status quo."

"What?"

"Look, everyone still needs to think I'm going to kill you. They don't need to know that I'm not. Peach won't surrender. My son will have the rest of the territories conquered by tomorrow morning. We'll usurp her throne in days."

"That doesn't make any sense! What does this have to do with us?"

"Mario, I take control, and we're free. I'll be in charge and we can do whatever we please. You could rule alongside me." He stops and comes to me, picking up my hands. "We do this, we answer to no one."

I take my hands away. "Bowser, that's not the answer." He frowns. "People will lay down their lives over this. Your troops hate me enough as it is for that, for killing their brothers-in-arms."

"So? Are you worried that they'll rebel?"

"Everyone will!"

"Do you have any alternatives in mind?"

He gives me a quizzical look as my mouth hangs open. What other way could there be?

"No," I admit. "But total domination is not going to win anyone over. We need another plan."

He smiles again, scratching under my chin. "All right. We'll think of another way. But in the meantime, I can't call this off. Inexplicably giving you up wouldn't solve anything for us."

"That's not true."

"No? Tell me, does your brother know about your obsession with me? How about Peach? Is there anyone in the entire kingdom that knows? I haven't told a soul."

"Bowser, it's not like this is unacceptable." He drops his eyes, raises an eyebrow, and gives me an expression of disapproval.

"You're joking right? How do you expect it to play out?" He snatches my cap and puts it on his head. Then, in an awful imitation, "'Wahoo! Hey-a everyone! It turns out that we're-a in love! That'll be-a ok, right? Bowser's sorry for all-a the bad things he did! Do you think we can-a live-a happily together at-a his castle and never fight again-a?'" I need to hold in my laughter while he grins. "Come on."

Composing myself, "We'll work on it."

"It's going to be a lot of work. I promised my people this kingdom. I promised them your blood. There's no way around that."

"No simple way," I insist. "We can do it though. Together."

"Together," he repeats, placing my hat back on my head. "Right." He slides his arms down my shoulders and pulls me in for a hug. I reciprocate, reaching up to hold him.

This is only our beginning, and everything is complicated already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, level up! How was that?! Lemme hear you! (Lol, jk, I can't hear anything. Excuse me while I sob quietly in a corner.)
> 
> But seriously, that was heavy. At first, I was all, "Yeah, this is gonna be the chapter that they admit their love and it's gonna be nice and sweet!" After that, though, I thought, "Wait. They're enemies. This isn't a simple 'OMG love you babe!' thing. And more drama is more fun." Thus, enter conflict!
> 
> Don't you wish that your love was more like Bowser? He'll take over a whole kingdom just so he can be happy with his lover! Isn't that the cutest thing ever?! ...Ok, I tried. Don't hate pls.
> 
> Now, let's recap. Mario couldn't escape (or didn't want to, shocker). Peach and friends are pretty powerless...for now. Junior exists again, yeah! Bowser and Mario are in love...LET THE SHIP SAIL ON! (Why doesn't anyone support this?) Only Blue Guy has the brains to rule Lylat...jk, he's a grunt. Oh, and I am apparently amassing my own Paper Mario partner roster of semi-original characters. But the big, um, "but," is that Mario and Bowser cannot co-exist without everyone opposing the idea. (Lol, what's wrong with a Koopa killer and a princess thief dating? ...Oh.)
> 
> Funnies aside, I tried to follow-up writing the p.o.v. swap and letter thing. That died after I let Mario take over the second time though. Oops. Honestly, I was going to bounce around again, but Mario's been shortchanged a bit, so I decided to give him the love confession chapter, which turned out to be hyper long. Oops again. Also, I tried playing with the present perspective to keep us guessing, because why not. It probably clashed a bit with the past perspective, but that's cool, I'll do better next time. Hopefully. If this is even good. Is it? Oh boy.
> 
> That's all I can think of saying. Write me feedback if you'd like! Comments and criticisms welcome! I'd love to hear your thoughts via reviews or messages. Also, thank you so much for reading all of this! It's exciting to see the views go up on this. At least, I hope it's because people are reading and not because, "oops, I clicked the gay Bowser story again." If so, I'll just cry myself to sleep, it's cool. (I don't know why I'm trying to be so funny; I think I'm giddy over finishing this chapter. It was a lot. Or maybe I'm just a try-hard. Either or.) But yes, I'd love to hear from you, in spite of not being able to hear you! (Not funny; I'm sorry, not sorry.) Thanks again!


	6. An Inspection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bowser and Mario begin to take their first steps in a relationship together. Meanwhile, Junior gets a new report, supposedly from his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, time to slow down a bit here, because I don't have enough mushy moments between Bowser and Mario. So! Let's. Get. Sappy!

Hello World,

I'm on top of you right now! Finally, after ages of hiding it, finally Mario and I could admit our feelings to one another! Everything is ecstatic!

Oh, all right, that's not completely true. He's not tolerating my taking over the entire Mushroom Kingdom, as I expected. And Peach's forces refused to surrender, as everyone anticipated. However, I was expecting to maintain a tighter control on the Grasslands. It appears that Mario's brother is putting up more of a fight than my troops imagined. We've only faced them both countless times, so forgive me for expecting better of them. To their credit, we haven't completely lost the territory just yet, so we'll see if we can hold it or not.

Adding to the troubles there are my personal problems here. After I sent to get Mario moved closer to my room, a good number of soldiers felt their heads turn, quite literally for the Dry Bones troops. Several tried to talk me out of it, but I appealed to them, stating that he'd be safer if he were closer and that I had done so before with Peach. (Truth: I haven't, but no one seemed to remember or correct me when I said so. We really do kidnap her too often.)

Otherwise, everything is currently in our favor. Kingdom control, kidnapped hero, relationship started, everything is looking up! Now, if Mario could just let me take the princess's castle, we'd be done with everything. Why we can't simply be together and not worry about whom we step on is beyond me, but I knew he wouldn't give in that easily. Not everyone's hotshot hero; he would never.

Still, I can't object to finding a new approach. It's been a few days and we haven't been able to come up with an idea that works. Mario's still losing sleep over it, so I feel like we should take it easy for a moment. We still haven't spent much time together since we professed our mutual attraction, outside of me slipping in quietly at night to make sure he was doing ok and nagging him to rest more.

How is it possible to be so close and so far at the same time? It drives me insane.

At any rate, I've sent word to get Junior to come home; even if we're waging a war, I don't want him involved, especially if we manage to create a more peaceful solution. The trouble with that, however, is whether I should tell him about Mario and I. Duping soldiers, guards, and advisors is one matter. Trying to fool my boy is another one entirely, and not one that I can keep up. Even if I avoid explaining it to him for a while, he's bound to figure it out eventually. I just can't think of the right words yet.

In spite of this, I refuse to keep him away any longer. The Koopalings can maintain control on their own and will excel doing so, I'm sure. Furthermore, I'd like today to not be about all of our troubles. It might be foolish, but I want some time alone with Mario, and I'll be sure that I can get it.

Everything else can wait, just a bit longer. We deserve at least one day.

Try and stop us,  
Bowser

(On second thought, don't.)

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

Blinking, I look over what I wrote and think for a minute.

"This is crap," I mumble, grabbing a scepter to seal it away with the rest. There have been a good number of times that I haven't liked what I wrote, but I'm too stubborn to get rid of any of them. It's not like I'm planning on showing Mario everything I write about him.

Though, maybe I should?

"Don't be an idiot," I grunt and move to a window. The sun is rising, which we can barely see through the volcanic haze. The land around my castle remains dark, as always, with few signs of life at the moment. Dull. And yet, I find myself wearing a stupid grin.

* * *

 

**[Junior]**

The Grasslands were ours! I don't understand how we lost them! Well, we haven't just yet, but it's as good as gone!

"Young sire," a red robed Magikoopa knocks and walks into my cabin. "The Koopalings have arrived."

"Super. Send Larry in!"

"Yes, sire," he replies and goes out. I bounce up from my seat, looking out a window. From this angle, all I can see are clouds and blue skies. The sun's rising, which isn't helping. A few seconds later, the bright blue-shelled loser himself comes in.

"You gotta be kidding me, Larry!" I yell. "We're supposed to have complete control over every stinking territory and you actually lose yours? It'd be one thing if it was Mario, but he's not even the one taking you guys down! And you're still losing!"

"My apologies, my young prince," he speaks the last part with a mocking tone.

And I'm not letting it go unnoticed. "Do you want me to throw you from this ship? Because I'll do it."

His frown curls into a smile. "Of course you would, Junior. But you must admit, we are your best—"

"Well, then, act like it!" I'm fighting down a smile myself. "Look, you guys may be older than me and my dad might like you, but you really gotta work harder at keeping things under our control! Remember what happened last time you seven disappointed my dad?"

His smile's gone and he shudders. "Unfortunately," he admits.

"Then get it together! How is Mario's brother giving you this much trouble anyway?"

"You'd be surprised."

There's another knock at the door and Larry lets the Magikoopa from before in.

"What is it?" I ask impatiently.

"News, sire. Your father requests your presence home as soon as possible."

"Really? But we're still trying to hold the Grasslands." I'm happy that he wants me home, and it's been almost a week already, but I feel like we're not done yet.

"He says to come regardless. There's also a request for the Koopalings to journey with you."

"Us too, huh? Neat," Larry comments.

"Wait, but then who's going to watch the castles?"

"We'll see that it's taken care of before we depart," the Magikoopa bows and pulls out his scepter as he walks out. Larry folds his arms and looks over at me.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You're gonna see your dad. It's been a while. You should be thrilled, right?"

"I guess, but I don't get it. And now he's definitely going to be annoyed that you couldn't keep the Grasslands."

Larry sighs, but nods. I shrug and start to get ready for the trip home.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

Outside Mario's room, two guards are only half awake at their post. Nudging them, they suddenly become alert. They're flushed pink with embarrassment. Good.

"Hey," I snap. "Get yourselves some rest and make sure the next shift comes."

"But sir," one Koopa protests. "We still have two hours."

"I'll be here for most of that," I wave my hand to send them off. "I can keep an eye on a door too. Go, or you'll keep disgracing yourselves."

"Yes, sir," the other Koopa interrupts and drags the other guard off with him. Idiots.

With a small sigh, I wait a moment before opening Mario's door. The room is more spacious than his cell, with an actual bed and dresser. It's dark now, but there is a light so it doesn't stay that way. It's not perfect, but it's above and beyond what Mario had before. He's flopped over on his bed, face buried in a pillow pool of drool. How adorably disgusting. To be fair, I'm not better when I haven't slept much. Actually, I'm not much better period. Quietly, I sneak over to his bedside.

"Good morning, gorgeous," I chuckle, and he jumps up, eyes suddenly wide open.

"W-What are you doing in here?!"

"Oh, I don't know, visiting my boyfriend, maybe?" After shrugging, I stick my tongue out and give him a playful look. Secretly, I'm waiting to see if he reacts to his new title…our shared title to one another. And listen to me, like labels define us.

"But the guards," he points to the door. "They, they're, there?"

A laugh slips out and I sit on the bed with him. "No, they're not there. I sent them off to rest. They looked almost as tired as you've been. When did you manage to get some sleep?"

"I passed out about…three hours ago," he estimates.

My mouth falls open a bit. "Are you joking? You need to rest!"

"We need to think of solving our problems first," rationalizes Mario.

"You'll do better with that if you actually sleep," I argue.

He shakes his head, "Have you thought of another way of ending your feud with Peach that doesn't involve taking control of everything?"

"Uh…no."

"And you've been sleeping, so what good has that done for you?" He smirks.

"Look, it's better than not getting any sleep or answers," I insist, and he shrugs.

"Maybe you should have left me asleep then."

"I expected that you would have actually rested like normal people do."

"Who do you even know that's normal? Is anyone?"

"That's not the point!" I pinch my eyebrows together and hear him laugh. Releasing them, I turn and look at him for a minute. His brown hair looks as smooth as it is messy. "You just love annoying me, don't you?"

"Of course," he teases. "How else can I keep your attention?"

Scratching under my chin, I think a minute. "Well, I can think of several ways."

"I'm not sure I want to know."

"You asked!"

"All right, name one."

"Flexing."

"That's going to keep your interest in me? If I just show off my muscles?"

"Why wouldn't it? I like looking at you." We pause. "Sorry, that's creepy."

He laughs. "I guess I shouldn't say that I do the same then." Now I laugh with him. And I think he tries to be subtle about it, but I feel him wrap his hand around mine. The laughter dissipates and we sit quietly for a minute. He breaks it, "We don't have long, do we?"

Breathing in and exhaling, I sigh, "Not very, no. They'll send someone by soon to make sure I'm all right and that you're contained."

He nods and frowns, which I mirror. "Can't you get your troops to stop or not want to kill me anymore? You are their king, so it should be possible, right?"

"It should, but they'll certainly believe that I've gone mad, if they aren't thinking that already. And they have every right to, with me kidnapping you, keeping you alive, visiting you, moving you closer to my chambers…I'm practically giving us away."

"I see," he sighs. His grip loosens in my hand.

"Mario, don't believe for a second that they'll kill you. I simply will not allow it."

"If what you say is true, then they might not care what you have to say about it. All it takes is for one of the soldiers to snap and come after me in the middle of the night or some other time you're busy."

Clearly, he's doing a better job at assessing these situations than I am. "I'll work on that, then," I muse, tightening my grip on his hand rubbing my thumb softly against the back. "And here I thought I could just walk in and make your day better."

"You did. You're here, and that helps. Even if it's a risk, I'm glad you did it."

"This is still my castle, my kingdom," I tout, puffing out my chest and sounding snobbish. "It may be complicated, but I'm still getting a few things that I want."

He laughs harder now and I'm glad I can give him that much. "Bowser, you are most certainly a piece of work."

"The finest, naturally," my response comes complete with a toothy grin.

"Of course," he snickers. I'm ready to retort when I suddenly hear a flapping noise. Hushing Mario, I move over to the window and look outside. Nothing. I hear the flap again, open the window, and look down. Below is a Paratroopa, with a white winged shell and matching white boots.

"Hey," I bark. "What are you doing over there?"

"Oh, good morning your majesty," replies the airy Paratroopa as he looks up at me. "Tm just cleaning the windows and making sure that they're secure." He continues cleaning the window, almost forgetting that he was speaking with his king. Then he lifts his head again. "Sir, is everything all right with that window?"

"It's fine," I growl. "Is this all you have to do?"

"At the moment, yes, sir."

Grumbling to myself, I want to tell him to do something else. Anything. "Did you clean the other sides of the castle windows?"

"Yes sir, and if I didn't, then someone else was assigned to it," he cheerfully answers. A groan escapes me, loud enough for him to hear. "My apologies sire! I should be up shortly. All I need is to get the next window up and then I'll clean that one you're near right after."

"Thanks a bundle," sounds my sarcastic voice.

"You're very welcome, sir!" He's either a complete ditz and responds happily to everything, or is much smarter than I'm giving him credit for and is trying his hardest to please me. Either way, he's not my favorite worker right now. Sighing, I close the window and return to Mario.

"So, time up due to maintenance?" He smiles while asking this, but I'm still annoyed over it. He pats my arm softly. "It's fine. We can find another time."

"I'm coming back tonight. And nothing is going to interrupt us then. Especially not Feather Duster out there." He laughs, but I'm mostly serious. We were supposed to be together longer. Instead, I'm leaving before the first hour is up. Grumbling, I rise, with Mario getting up with me.

"Don't stress it too much. We have more important things to worry about."

"Like you getting more sleep? You should while I'm gone."

"I can try."

"Fair enough." We smile at one another and I turn to leave.

"Oh, and Bowser?" I turn back around instantly.

"Yes?" He walks closer to me.

"I like being your boyfriend."

Leaning up, he kisses me a little below my cheek. It's soft and sweet, yet far too quick; I can barely feel his mustache graze against me. Admittedly greedy, I already hunger for more. However, I decide not to press my luck too early. Instead, I rest my face against the top of his head. His hair is smooth. Kissing the top, I whisper, "I love being yours." Mario moves into me and we embrace one another for a while.

A year could have passed and I still would have thought I left too soon.

* * *

 

**[Luigi]**

Screaming fills the air as we charge forward. It's me, of course, as I jump up and crash down on a Koopa Troopa, firing it from its shell and tossing it at the other Koopas and Goombas ahead of me. My Toad tagalongs race ahead, jumping up a few cliffs and grabbing onto the flagpole. I launch myself after them, leaping above where they latched on, and spin around to the other side. We pull the black flag with Bowser's insignia down, and I replace it with my own green one.

"We did it," cheers the Yellow Toad. "We recovered the next location!"

"And we're almost at the castle too," adds the Blue Toad.

"Great work, you guys," I compliment the duo. "The Grasslands will be ours again in no time." Saying so reminds me of the patch of grass on my overalls and I brush myself off, hearing a crinkle from inside my clothes. Reaching in, I pull out Mario's speech. The two Toads are too excited at first to notice that I've stopped following them. "Keep going, I'll catch up in a minute," I call to them. They stop, but I wave them ahead, and they walk onward.

Honestly, I complete forgot that I had this thing with me. Trying not to die from Bowser's forces makes me forget the time of day, let alone what I'm carrying with me. Opening the folded paper, I decide that I could use a rally from my brother. Even if he's not with me now, he can still motivate me.

"'Beloved friend,'" I read aloud. "'I have a confession to make…' …What?" Skimming through the first few lines confuses me quickly. This isn't a speech that Mario was going to tell people for a bridge opening. He must have taken the wrong paper. Reading along a little further, he goes on to talk about playing a hero role and keeps describing this enchantment he has with inextinguishable fire. My heart races and I'm growing worried about him, wondering if my brother's been going through more issues than I've realized lately.

As I go to read more, however, I hear one of the Toads yell ahead from a distance: "Luigi! We need your help!"

"Help Luigi!" The other Toad shouts. "We've got tough bad guys up ahead here!"

Reluctantly, I tear my eyes from the paper and look ahead. In the distance, the Toads are running from charging Goombas. Folding the letter back up, my eyes read, "love Bowser. Not Luigi," and I'm tempted to read it again. What could that even mean? Shutting my eyes as I stick the letter back in between my shirt and overalls, I run forward, off to help the Toads.

I'm not sure what scares me the most anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, did I not mention Luigi ending this chapter and possibly having his world rearranged in seconds? Oops.
> 
> But yeah, I wanted to spotlight the subplots a bit more, giving Junior a little longer to stick around. And is that a Koopaling in the chapter?! Why, yes it is! Larry finally got to show up, huzzah! The other six will come in time as well. Did you notice that they were invited back with Junior, but that Bowser wrote that they were supposed to stay out and about, holding positions? Hmm...someone didn't get the memo. (Or did they?) As for Luigi and the Toads, they're actually saving the day, whoo! Except, Luigi also started reading the note and that's not a good thing. (Or is it? ...Being cryptic is another one of the things I'm not good at.)
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is a little slower, with less information popping up and a focus on the romance between Bowser and Mario. (DID I MENTION THAT IT WAS A THING? It's a thing in this story. Surprise! ...I'm sorry that I'm not funny.) So, now there's cute fluff for us to enjoy between the enemy-lovers. Friendly enemies are called frenemies, so enemies in love are...uh...lovelemies? Um, um...it works, right? I can already feel so much bad judgment. Look, just keep shipping Bowsario and forget that I'm here. That's how this stuff works, right? No? Bummer, that makes me a fail-whale.
> 
> Writing wise, other than the surprise ending, it's still the "letter subplot plot" thing, which I'm changing somehow next chapter. Obviously I like this format, but it's going to get old too fast, and the differences aren't big enough between the chapters. If you like the style that I've used so far, let me know, and I can go back to it. Otherwise, I'm going to assume that it's boring the tears out of you and that's a no-go.
> 
> So, recap: Junior's going home, apparently with the Koopalings; Luigi's saving the day but freaking out over his brother; Mario is worried about being a prisoner and saving the kingdoms; Bowser thinks he's got the control switches on everything, but that's just begging for trouble later on; Feather Duster is a character; this chapter took place in the morning for once; Bowser and Mario is a cute pairing and needs more support. (This ship will sail or sink, but I keep putting corks in the leaks, so I'm forcing it to sail on.) Next chapter will probably contain more fluff, but it'll also get to advance the plot, because this one didn't get to as much.
> 
> And that'll do it for now. Feedback is welcome and appreciated! I got a lot of responses last time and that was super exciting. Comments and criticisms welcome! Messages and reviews are really helpful in giving an audience perspective. Regardless, thank you all for reading and supporting! This story has a ton of views and it's still going strong! So thank you for reading, favoriting, following, responding, and talking about this! I hope you'll continue to do so; I'll keep updating the story too. Thank you once again everyone!


	7. A Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Mario and Bowser finally get a chance to get intimate with one another. (The author also tries to get fancy with writing styles and does an awful job at it.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: The following chapter contains disgusting amounts of fluff, many several words piled together for reading, overloaded cliché moments, mild frights and worries with foreboding forewarnings, terribly large amounts of sappy stuff, awkward experiences all around, awful attempts at poetic devices, silly shenanigans, and copious amounts of romance. If you find this pleasing and/or you are bubbling with excitement over this, by all means, please continue and enjoy.
> 
> In other words: perspectives change with little poems for this chapter, instead of the usual brackets with names. It was a silly attempt, I'm sorry.

Maybe we're taking too many chances trying…  
And perhaps neither of us has thought this through.  
Really though, when have we been so close?  
In every sense and breath, together we live!  
Obviously, it's worth the risks…right?

* * *

 

Atop a dark hill, kissed by a blue-violet night sky, under a small silver shrine, I'm sitting quietly, Bowser at my side. His body is turned toward me, but I'm facing the edge of a cliff, staring into an open valley. Stars glitter against the sky, shimmering off the shrine's posts and slightly illuminating the land near us. There are some trees visible, but everything fades, as I look further out.

With a finger tucked under my chin, he turns my face toward him. He's frowning and looks sorrowful.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

What? Why would he be? Did…did he just wipe a tear from my eye? When did I…?

"Mario, I never meant for this to happen. You have to believe me when I say that. We tried everything, you know that we did."

The kingdoms. Did they go to war? Taking control of my dream body, I turn to look behind us. Wishing to the stars that I hadn't, my eyes are now fixed on the cadavers of several subjects from both kingdoms. Fallen Koopas and Toads, squished and flattened Goombas, charred bits of land that must have come from Bob-omb and Bullet Bill blasts, shattered egg shells, torn banners, scattered weapons, and far too many other signs of battle are around us.

On a broken pedestal in the middle of the carnage, a multi-colored star shaped object gently floats, failing to counterbalance the destruction around it.

"How could this happen?" I voice my thoughts, though I sound broken from the tears in the dream. Separated, my mind is going through complete shock.

His claw scratches softly behind my head. "I'm sorry. We'll make it right though." He rises, and then extends his hand for me. Taking it, Bowser pulls me up and we walk over to the star above the pedestal. Gripping his hand tightly, I take in a sharp breath; I can feel my heart racing. His thumb rubs the back of my hand and we look to one another. "It's easy from here."

"We'll lose everything we gained," I blurt out, but it's not from my thoughts. What did I miss that my dream self seems to know?

Bowser shakes his head. "We don't know that for sure. What we do know is that it's worth the sacrifice." The what? Where is this going? He smiles to reassure me. His free hand wipes away his own tears, then mine. Why is this happening?

His eyes suddenly widen as he looks past me, slowly baring his teeth. My arm is tugged and Bowser tries to pull me away, but a sharp pain in my back tells me that he failed. An anguished roar and billowing fire confirm that something has just happened to me, as I slip into his arms. Even with the light emanating from the star, even with Bowser's shouts of, "Stay with me! Don't go! Mario! Please," my vision slowly fades to black.

Snapping awake, my breath is hard and heavy. My heart is still racing, hammering against my chest. Running my hands over my face, feeling my surroundings, I shake my head and realize that I'm still in his castle, still in my room.

"Nightmare," I exhale, and then sit quietly for a while. Two fingers pinch the side of my mustache and I tug it a bit, the scenes from horrendous reverie slipping away, but exacting a steep toll. Tightly gripping the covers, I breathe again, shutting my eyes tightly. Think. Think of anything else, Mario; think of anything that can make it go away. Sighing, controlling myself again, my eyes are open and I jump out of the bed.

Tiptoeing to the window, not certain of the cautious measures I'm taking, I open the shutters and gaze out. It's impossible to see with the setting sun, the mix of red and orange soaked skyline, but I know Star Hill's direction from here. I've traveled there on several adventures before, but dying there…

No. Stop. It wasn't real. That was a nightmare, not a vision. Come on; stop thinking about it!

Turning away from the window, I walk back to the bed and grab my cap. Using my hand to fix my hair quickly, I slip the hat back on. Reaching under the bed, I pull out my shoes and slide back into them. Pulling my gloves out of my overalls, I push them back onto my hands. Making a fist, I glance at the scuffs in my clothing. They're minor, but I'd like to get them fixed and stitched up at some point. My eyes drift back out the window.

Suddenly, a rough rapping sounds at the door. Smirking, I realize there's only one person who can make it sound like that.

* * *

 

Anyone would think we're bizarre.  
Now that we've come so far and said so much…  
Does it matter what they believe?

Both of us are terrified about everything.  
Of course, it's justified, all things considered.  
What comes next and can we handle it?  
Solutions are in short supply…  
Ergo, we'll make our own future.  
Right or wrong, we're deciding our fate.

* * *

 

Opening the door, wearing a stubborn grin, I see him standing in the vermillion light of the window. His body is highlighted in the glow, showing off his muscled arm and clenched fist. The legs are spread, but steady, showcasing a balanced posture. While the setting sun's rays dull the red clothes, his overalls stand out. More importantly, his bright eyes stand out in a gorgeous display of cool blue against the red backdrop.

Taking in a whiff, my nose twitches a bit and I do my best to stop scrunching my face. Mario may look more handsome under the sun, but he needs to wash up. He raises an eyebrow, which means I didn't quite cover it up well enough.

"Can I help you, your nosey majesty?" he jests, bowing. Snorting, I wave my hand in front of my nose. "That's your fault, not mine."

"Touché," is my answer, gesturing him to come out with my finger. His head tilts, but he slowly walks forward anyway. "Just us," I reassure him. He pokes his head out and looks around. "Everyone was rounded up for training exercises, courtesy of a grouchy king," my explanation comes, ending with a chuckle.

His bright smile makes my heart beat faster. Grabbing his arm, I lead him down the hall and to a bathroom. "Here, go wash off. I'll bring some clothes by in a bit."

He stops and gives me a bewildered look. "You have clothes that will fit me?"

"They're not mine," I laugh a little. "I had a Troopa give them to me."

"So, a shell and shoes. Swell," he mocks the idea and sticks his tongue out.

"Hey, we have more than that, you know. Formal occasions require formal clothes."

He scratches the back of his head. "True, it's just…I rarely see a Koopa in a suit coat."

Chuckling, I walk back to my room. Opening the door, I find a small, dark blue suit and pants waiting for Mario, paired with matching socks and a button-down carmine shirt to go underneath. Along with it wait my larger black suit jacket and a dark green dress shirt, neatly hung up and ready for use.

However, the yellow robed Snifit and pink Boo that I sent to get things together are also there waiting for me. Frowning, I fold my arms over. Here we go.

"O-Oh! Lord Bowser!" the yellow Snifit squeaks, and I can't tell if she was or wasn't expecting my return. "We, um, we got your clothes!"

"Fantastic," I grunt. "But why are you and your girl pal still here?"

"Girl? Ohohoho!" laughs the pink Boo, and judging by the deep voice, I'm mistaken.

Shrugging, I note, "Give me a break, you're pink, and it's easy to assume."

"Pink? Ehee hee!" cackles the Boo. "Your majesty, I'm a Red Boo! That's our species after all!" Cocking an eyebrow, I tilt my head and look him over. "All right, I'm clearly pink, yes. But sire, we are known as the Red Boo. It's quite funny, don't you agree? Ehee hee hee!"

"…Right. Well, off with the two of you. Thanks for the clothes and all—"

"Oh, but your majesty," the giggling Boo interrupts. "Won't you permit us to stay for the date?" Grinding my teeth, I glare him in the eyes. "Ehee hee hee! Your highness didn't expect us to be so foolish as to not know about your plans? Clearly, you are trying to impress a…certain someone, yes?"

"Ruby! Hush now!" the yellow Snifit scolds him. "Lord Bowser, forgive him. He simply does not know when to keep his silly tongue out of people's business. What do we care if you're planning a date with Mario anyway?" My cheeks start burning and I can't tell if it's embarrassment, anger, or a fireball ready to be shot out at the next one of these two to speak. "…O-Oh! Sire, please! F-Forgive me!"

"Ohohoho!" Ruby bursts with laughter, bouncing around as he floats. "Well met, Jasmine! It must be Mario! He's the only one not running around with training exercises!"

"Listen," I growl fiercely. "If either of you so much as thinks of spreading a vile rumor like that, I'll have you two—"

"Lord Bowser, we would never!" Jasmine protests. "It's such a lovely idea. You could use someone to be beside you. Mario might just make your best suited match yet!" There's a pause as we look from her to the suits, then back to the Snifit again. "Beg pardon, sire. I wasn't trying to be funny."

"Ehee hee hee! How can we not keep this secret?" Before he continues, I'm already dreading his humored tone. "Just think of it, your majesty! We know a special secret about you that no one else does…yet! Oh, Jasmine here might guard it with her life, but this kind of leverage is just too much to simply keep the secret!"

On the verge of roaring, I stifle it once an idea pops into my mind. "You know, Ruby. Mario's brother has an uncanny knack for ghost hunting." The…"Red" Boo's grin disappears in an instant upon hearing that. Smirking, I add, "You'll keep this between us, or I'll make sure to find more than one way to torture even a ghost like you." Suddenly, his afterlife became more valuable, as he silently nods.

"You have our word, sire," Jasmine chimes in. "We'll keep this secret as safe as can be! Why, not even your son will hear of it! He…he doesn't know, does he?"

"No, and you'll do well not to tell him first," I snap. "Now, be gone!" The two bow and make a quick exit. Scratching my head, I feel a heavy doubt settling in the pits of my stomach. Sighing, I take a second to shake it off, and then fumble around with my suit and shell. After a struggle, I'm able to throw it and the jacket on. Taking the smaller suit for Mario, I walk back over to the washroom.

Raising my hand to knock, I pause, hearing a tune coming from the room. Listening carefully, past the rushing shower, I catch just the end of it. He sings:

"You say you'd reach for the stars above,

You'd travel all the lands and back for me.

Just don't forget to take me too, my love,

Take me to the ends of the land and sea."

It's not that he aces the song, and it may not strike a cord with anyone else, but the very idea of Mario singing melts my heart away. Even if he isn't quite perfect at it, I'd kill to hear more. However, the shower stops and I'm forced to abandon the notion for now. Hearing the knocking, he gasps.

"B-Bowser," he stammers. "Uh…hi."

"Hello, love," I coo, and lightly scratch the doorframe. "I got you some fresh clothes."

"Oh, right. Um…" he clears his throat. "Just, give me a minute." Listening, I hear a towel flip about. My heart starts racing and I feel a smile creep onto my face. Shaking my head, I sigh and suck in a bit of my cheek. "All right, just pass it through the door when I open it." There's an edge to his voice that makes it clear he doesn't want me looking in…or else. Listening to the click of the lock and the knob turn, I hold the clothes and look away. Barely hearing the door creak or feeling his hand snatch the suit away, I blink and turn back as he shuts it again.

"Wow, speedy," I comment, with a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah, my brother can be a pest," he murmurs, making me curious to learn more. "And you weren't kidding about the formal attire, huh?"

"Nope," I beam. There's a pause while I scratch my head and yawn.

"Um…Bowser? You're not going to wait there the whole time, are you?"

"What? …Oh, uh…no, I'll be in my room." Huffing, I trudge off.

* * *

 

Joining one another was the first step.  
Unified, yet are we still coming together?  
Sharing every moment, glad or sad…  
Tempting the other to outdo the last.

* * *

 

Oddly enough, the suit fits me pretty well. It's a little snug on my legs, but it gets the job done. Combing my hair, I swing my red cap around on my free hand. Gathering my shambled shirt and overalls, I continue to twirl it around. After debating it, I decide to leave my clothes in my room, hat and gloves included. All I take with me are my shoes, a little scuffed, but not quite as noticeable as the rest. Slowly, I stroll to Bowser's room and knock. He opens it, and I notice him wearing a suit and coat as well. Pants, he lacks, though I imagine the ventral plastron covers it.

"Funny," he murmurs, with lowered eyes, a small smile. "Here I was thinking that I'd pick you up. I forgot that you came to my house." His mischievous grin curls up and I laugh.

"Well," I sigh, still smiling, "you're the one who planned the rest. So, where to?"

Wrapping his arm around me, all I get is, "This way." We walk along the halls, but I'm too caught up with Bowser holding me to pay the passing gray and red blurs any notice. Those two cliché feelings, about a tightened stomach and walking on air, are about what I'm experiencing now. Exchanging a look with the Koopa King, I'd be remiss to think he felt any different.

As we walk, he rubs my arm and back a bit, pulling me closer, binding us. The size weighs me down a bit, but his scales are smooth and his muscles feel tight, superb. It's doting, yet protective, understandably. However, the corridors we navigate are empty, save for this odd couple. His tail curls around my waist and I can't help but grab it, raise it a bit. He flinches, but loosens as I begin to massage it. He moans a little, failing to cover it up, blushing.

Soon, we arrive to a spacious roof, and I blink, apparently numb to staircases. A small table for two sits near the edge, but not enough to overlook the castle grounds below. However, there's no need, as the night sky is already filled with shimmering stars, bursting through the volcanic smog.

While I'm caught up with the view, Bowser lowers his wrapped arm to my waist, sliding his tail away. His other arm clasps one of mine, and he playfully grins. By the time I process this, he starts swaying around, then spinning and twirling me along with him. My heart skips a little, but after he builds momentum with the silly dance, we're laughing. Once we near the table, he dips me, winking. My cheeks heat up, alive with fire, and I share his smile. Pulling me back up, we take our seats.

"That's just to ease the tension," Bowser laughs. "Next time, we'll have a real tango."

"Fantastic," I laugh, and I feel a mix of cheer and fret over that.

He uncovers our meals and I nearly drool over the succulent smells. There's roasted shroom dish with a fresh, healty salad for me, and a steaming shroom steak with drumsticks for him. The delicious scents already fill my nostrils and my empty stomach is on the verge of screaming with delight.

"Sorry it's a little simple, but I don't normally eat mushrooms, so the order was a little, uh, suspicious," he fires out at me, twisting the tablecloth. His foot grazes my leg under the table, patting mine as he lowers it.

"Bowser, this is great," I reassure him. In all honesty, he could have served the chef's mistakes and I'd be delighted to shovel it down my throat. Seeing me unwrap the napkin and hastily pulling out the silverware must reassure him, as he lets out a breath and smiles. Before I can dig in, he reaches over and brings up a few candles. With a quick huff, he lights them, setting them down neatly on the other end. I can't help but laugh. "Really?"

He tries to keep a straight face, but a grin forces its way in. "What? When else would we get to use these?" The aroma of trees and flowers settle in and I can't argue; it's a bittersweet reminder of what we don't have here.

After we've eaten, Bowser pushes the table aside and drags our chairs together. Still not close enough for him, he wraps his arm around me again and pulls me closer. The arm of the chair digs in a bit, but there's no helping it and having him hold me is too charming to refuse. I slip my arms around his body, hugging him, feeling his heart beat pick up. Bowser hums with delight, curling his tail around my legs. His free arm reaches over and entwines into my hand. Quietly, we look out to the sky.

He nuzzles his face into my hair after a bit, and takes a whiff. His enchanted sigh signals that I smell much better now. Chuckling, I press into him, letting his body warm me up. Cuddling with him feels so gratifying and I've already decided this will be one of those moments to treasure for life. Judging by his soft squeezes now and again, I'm pretty sure he agrees with me.

Stargazing doesn't last forever, and after we've found a few patterns, I can't help but bring up the current situation again. Unwrapping his tail from my legs and untangling our hands, I'm already a bit colder. He scratches his chin and then looks down at me with a quizzical expression.

"Are you sure we can't just conquer the whole kingdom?" His tone sounds half serious, yet half lighthearted.

"No," I flatly reject the notion and he laughs.

"Worth a shot," he relents easily. "Well, what do you propose?"

I think for a bit. "Maybe a peace treaty?" I offer.

"Highly unlikely to succeed," he muses. "We've been feuding for ages, there's no chance that'll work."

I bite my lip and decide to elaborate. "Hear me out: you come up with some terms, agreeable ones, and then send me over. Maybe you could ask for a little more territory, expand your part of the kingdom, and work as an ally to the Mushroom Kingdom for future disruptions. I'm sure that we can go about it rationally and if you agree to pull your troops out and help fix things up, we'll be over the war in no time."

He grunts. "You're delusional if you think that's really going to work."

"Better that then storming in and trying to take over the world," I counter, a tad too defensive. To balance it, I add in, "I really want this to work out for everyone. This is a really shaky plan, I'll admit, but it's something."

Bowser crosses his legs and scratches under his chin. "Peace negotiations…" he murmurs. "And what do I tell my troops? They'll think I've gone soft, that I'm giving in."

"Do you really think they'd be opposed to peace?" I blurt out. "No more of me stomping down on their heads and backs."

Breathing in and releasing it, Bowser continues to think it over. "We should keep brainstorming, but this makes a good foundation, as opposed to my ideas," he finally admits.

"Thank you," I cheer and hug him, squeeze him, again. He rumbles a little with laughter and holds me as well.

At the sound of something crackling, we break our embrace and look back to the sky. A shooting star soars across the night sky. We get up to watch it slowly travel into view and sail through. I burst out laughing again.

"Could this be any more sappy?" I have to ask.

"Of course," he smiles. "How else were you expecting this to go?" Then he leans down and whispers into my ear, "I've only got one idea left myself." I feel his hand brush against my face and he pulls back.

Our eyes are locked in, taking each other in. His glossy red eyes are just too enticing to look away from. His smile reflects my own. He bends his knees a bit to get a little closer to my level. Bowser gently raises my chin and strokes my head. I reach up to run my hand through his red strands, and then slide it to his horn. Soft. Rough. It takes a fair bit of effort to close my eyes, to shut this sight out even briefly, but I do. Our hearts are thundering against our chests. We lean in to each other and I can feel the warmth of his breath, hotly brushing over my whole face.

* * *

 

Keeping us apart at all costs…  
It's what the world wants.  
Somehow, we'll fight back!  
Sickening feels fade in time.  
Everyone will learn this…  
Day and night, we won't relent.

* * *

 

Out of every way I dreamt our first kiss would unfold, I didn't quite think it through. My mouth covers a good portion of his face, to the point where I can feel his chin against my bottom lip, and it looks as if I'm trying to eat him. Pulling back with a bit of a pop, he brushes some saliva off of his face while I scratch my cheek.

"Uh…heh…sorry," is about all I can manage; there's no salvaging this one.

"That's all right," he laughs as he brushes his face once more. "Want to try again?"

"Please!" I beg, not hiding my desperation for a second chance. Well…the first kiss is already gone, sure, but I need to get one good one in before the night is over.

Scooping his soft face into my hands as he wraps his around mine, I lean in slower. Pausing just before his face, possibly teasing a bit, we shut our eyes and gently push our lips out and press them in together. It doesn't feel like I'm putting everything in at first, since I'm trying to avoid another mistake, but my lips are practically covering his. I let back a bit, but he moves into me, not letting up just yet. His mustache tickles my lips and it's so soft, with the most magnificent feeling of it brushing against me. I'm not quite sure where to go next, so I press back, and part his lips open. He moans a little and our tongues touch a few times. I'm tempted to go further and deepen the kiss, but I'm afraid to ruin the moment and want to enjoy what I've got so far. Instead, I slide my hand up his face and run it through his hair. He caresses my cheek and I moan a bit in response, feeling a lightning fast tingle surge across my body, top to bottom and back again. Reluctantly, we ease away from one another, trying to savor every last sensation.

"Better?" I quietly yet hopefully ask, feeling a grin return to my face.

"Much," Mario answers and I open my eyes to see him smiling back at me.

My beam broadens and I envelope him in my arms. Rubbing his back and pressing my face against his head, I chuckle a bit, and then squeeze him tighter. His arms slide up beneath mine, clinging to my body. Wrapping my tail around his waist, I try to push us in even closer, as if it were possible. He rubs my sides and pats me gently. Our hearts continue to pound against our chests, for one another.

Breathing into his head, I feel an overwhelming yearning for him. I literally can't pull him in any more without crushing him, but I want to keep Mario so close to me. It's a rushing mix of desire, greed, and love, bundled up and begging me to never let him go again, like I should magnetically bond to him and cling together for life. I can't really explain it properly, but almost every fiber of my being just wants to stay here, latched to him, to my love. The best part is that he squeezes back, and feels that same surge of want for me.

We physically can't though, and slowly, we unfold from the tight embrace. Staring into his deep blue eyes, all I want is to kiss him and hold him repeatedly. We breathe in to one another and the warmth is the most refreshing thing I've ever felt.

It's real.

Wrapping my arm back around his waist, I want to keep him near me. A distant buzzing snaps me back into an alert state and I look out across the sky. The whirs become a chorus and I squint, trying to see past the sooty sky. A pang hits my stomach hard, and my warm emotions are overturned by less soothing ones.

"What is it?" Mario asks. I turn back to him and he searches my eyes, worried.

"It's…my son," I utter, having completely forgotten about summoning the boy back home. Reading my thoughts almost perfectly, Mario can only nod. "What am I going do? What are we going to do?"

He takes my free hand and closes both of his around it. Even if he can't answer, it's more reassuring that I imagined.

Thinking a bit, I sigh. "Well, I guess we should get out of these suits first, so let's head back inside." Mario agrees and we make our way back in. We pause a minute and look back to the sky. The shooting star is disappearing.

"Maybe we should make a wish," suggests Mario.

Nodding, I agree, "Sure." Still, I need to add, "Honestly though, I can't see another wish coming true so soon." We break into smiles, make silent wishes, and tread back inside.

Dragging our feet doesn't change what's coming up, but it keeps us together a little longer. "You've got to admit," Mario pipes up as we head down the steps, "this was probably the best night we've had in ages, and possibly the best for a while yet."

"Of course," my absent agreement sounds. Mario bumps me and gives me a dirty look. Sighing, I understand that we've already gotten a lot out of tonight. Still, I crave him and want more. Kissing him on the head, he smiles we hold one another as we continue. Even with a pit in my stomach, I keep a grin on my face.

Even as reality is punching back in, it can't take what we've already shared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait, they kissed?! AAAAAHHH, IT'S HAPPENING FOR REAL! But there we are, I did the semi-direct follow up to the last chapter.
> 
> So, writing stuff first: I was not kidding when I said that I wanted to find a way to change up the style a bit. And something switched the wrong way in my brain, where I thought I had a brilliant idea of, "Oh! I know! We'll switch perspectives with little poem-like sentences that spell something! Because I'm a dork and that seems cute!" That off-switch caused me to forget that I can't write poems to save my life. Oh well!
> 
> A chapter without the little letter back-and-forths is a different feel, but a good one, and the perspective swapping was subtler this way. I'll probably go back to my usual method of writing, but let me know how you felt about this style! Maybe I can use it again, or if anyone loves it enough, have it totally take over! ...Ok, let's not get crazy. Whoops, too late. (I wrote this on little sleep; my apologies.)
> 
> Now, mushy plot discussions: Mario had a nightmare and-WHO BEGINS THE MUSHY CHAPTERS LIKE THIS?! SERIOUSLY, ECHO, WHAT THE-oh wait, that's me. Oops. (Fyi, Star Hills is a reoccurring location in the Mario series RPG games. Hey, if I'm non-canon, I might as well use all available resources. And it's a pretty place.) But yeah, terrible stuff for openings so we can have the lowest point out of the way.
> 
> Maybe somewhere in your head, you might be wondering, "why the heck were they in suits?" BECAUSE DATES ARE FORMAL, DUH. No, I'm kidding; dates are as random as people are. I just had this stupid desire to force Bowser into an uncomfortable suit and made sure that a series did it first. Also, the food was from the games too; I didn't put "healthy" in front of "salad" just to remind you folks to eat your veggies. (PAPER MARIO IS THE MOST HELPFUL THING EVER. HANDS DOWN. SERIOUSLY.)
> 
> Oh, speaking of, Bowser got 2 more custom minions: Jasmine the Snifit (a heavily underused species indeed, and unlike with Shy Guys, it doesn't seem jarring to call one a girl) and Ruby the Boo (it is taking a lot of strength and will for me to not turn that into an immature rhyme, be thankful). If you're wondering about the bizarre, almost normal name choice, it's because I like coloring, ok? Anyway, gotta collect 'em all! ...You better get that reference or I'm judging you almost as harshly as you judge me. You do that, don't you? If not, I judge myself, so it works! …Wait.
> 
> Yes, Mario and Bowser had to kiss, which was the driving force behind this chapter. I REALLY WANT PEOPLE TO SHIP THIS. Actually, someone called attention to other Bowsario stories already existing, so it's not an entirely new concept. Still, most were one-shots or discontinued and it needs support, so let's keep it up! Isn't it fun? Come oonnn! (Admit it, you like it.)
> 
> Anyway, back to story: I wanted to add in more plot moving stuff, with the fluff (those are the best rhyming words, don't hate me), so now we have Junior (and the Koopalings!) coming back home, a possible solution to avert war (and save Mario, whoops), story in more nighttime chapters, and...oh, just the first few people in the story that actually know about Bowser and Mario, but that's no big deal. (WHAT.) That totally works as plot movement and I'm not justifying my insistence on shipping chapters before all hell breaks loose and delaying the inevitable drama whatsoever. ...Support it.
> 
> Uh...did you guys like the big kiss scene? I was all, "yeah, I know how kissing works!" and then I remembered anatomy differences. Whoops. Oh well, I tried. As for clichés, like eating on the roof of a castle, candlelit dinners, and shoot stars / wishes? Because I'm a sucker for cheesy romance. Did I tell you to support this yet?
> 
> All right, for real, that's all I can rant about. If I missed anything or you'd like to know more or just want to share your enthusiasm (aka tell me that I have issues), please send me a review and/or message, comments and criticisms welcome. Which reminds me, thank you very much for your continued reading thus far, which is exciting and I'm glad it's holding its own. So, thanks again to all of you who have read, are reading, or will read this story! Have a good one!


	8. A Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peach, fed up with waiting for others to fight her battles, resorts to extreme measures, fleeing her castle to rescue the Grasslands fortress. With her are two Toads, and a magic wand known as the Royal Scepter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, back for more! Speaking of, a certain someone was left out of the story for the past two chapters and hasn't appeared in a chapter since the fourth one. Guess who's back with a vengeance?

Dearest Toadsworth,

I sincerely apologize for what I am about to put you through, but I can no longer sit by idly while the kingdom falls into chaos.

While you have made it absolutely clear that the kingdom would remain safe and stable so long as I remained out of harm's way, it seems quite apparent to me that the opposite is true. The castle may stand tall, but the rest of the kingdom is in disarray from Bowser's forces.

No longer. My patience has been tested time and again, but even I have my limits. Mario has already been taken and Bowser has threatened his life. Luigi and many of our strongest Toad soldiers are trying to fight through the Koopa King's minions, with varying degrees of success.

However, I simply cannot wait for Luigi and the Toads to throw their lives away or for Bowser to completely take this kingdom over. Most of all, however, is that I will not let Mario's life dangle in jeopardy, just so I can sit pretty on my throne and wait for everyone else to decide his fate.

Even though I know you will do the opposite, please do not panic. I will take the best possible precautions, ones that no one has ever anticipated from me before. And I will meet up with Luigi before going any further, but I will not rest until I've won back my kingdom.

This is war, and I will not wait to be told the results. I will decide our fate today.

Take care until my return,  
Peach  
(And that is an order, Toadsworth!)

* * *

 

**[Peach]**

Perhaps I could have been more delicate, now that I have a chance to think about that letter. And poor Toadsworth will wander into my room and discover it neatly on top of the desk before he sees my blanket-forged escape rope. But I haven't the time to worry about what he'll find or how he'll act. The castle is far behind me now.

"Princess? Are you all right?" the purple Toad asks me. I turn my head to look at him and nod. Looking down, I notice my tight grip around my golden scepter. Relaxing it, I can feel my hand shaking a bit, but it feels lighter now.

The green Toad with us lets out a heavy sigh. "If Toadsworth knew where we were going, he'd…he'd…I don't even want to think about it!"

"Now, now," I begin to reassure them, "Toadsworth will feel much calmer knowing that you two came with me as my guards, rather than going alone." I'm headstrong, but not foolish. As much as I want to lessen the causalities of my people, I do know that I would be in over my head to journey to the Grasslands fortress alone.

Nodding, the purple Toad chimes in, "Yeah, Toadsworth would be happy that we went with Peach."

"No," the green Toad snaps back at him, "he'd be mad that we didn't stop Peach and bring her back."

Laughing, I contribute, "Well, my orders far outrank his, so that's the end of it." Thinking for a second, the green Toad nods, relenting.

We continue walking along the quiet dirt and grassy paths, making any necessary jumps across various cliffs, wary of possible troops that could attack us as we listen to the crunching of the trails below. However, we have faced none thus far, more than likely due to Luigi and the others already clearing the way.

"Gosh," comments the purple Toad, "I really would have thought that more troops would have taken the place of the fallen ones. Other than jumping over occasional ravines, this escort is as easy as a spring breeze."

"It hasn't been all that long since Luigi and the others passed through here," the green Toad points out. "Even Bowser couldn't have learned about it that quickly."

While the two Toads continue to chatter, I look to the late night sky. My thoughts turn to Mario, and I can only hope that he is managing to survive. Bowser's words echo in my mind:

"Princess Peach! I've got your precious little hero right here! By the time you get this message, my forces will have control over your kingdom. Surrender if you want to save Mario! Don't, and he's finished. I'll send you more terms soon."

Shivering off the punch I feel in my stomach, I hold my scepter close to me. The moonlight glimmers across the blue and pink jewels that decorate the heart-shaped head of it. Breathe in, breathe out; come on, Peach.

"Princess? Are you all right?" the purple Toad repeats the question. It's not the first time, nor will it be the last, that he asks me that.

Sucking in air, "I'll be fine." Exhale. Stop worrying about him; he's Mario.

The green Toad excitedly jumps up and down. "I see it! The fortress is up ahead!"

Looking ahead, I see the tall, dark citadel before us. My heartbeat races, and there's a bubbling of excitement pulsing through me. No one has cleared this stronghold yet, which means that we will be facing at least one enemy: Bowser's chosen minion. Whoever he placed to guard the Grasslands will be the one we need to stop.

"Come on," I assert, moving ahead of the Toads. "We have to help the others." They follow with cheerful, though nervous, chirps of enthusiasm.

Stepping inside, the walls are black, and it's difficult to see, even with torchlight. Whispering an incantation to my staff, it begins to glow, emitting a small yellow light that casts a beam ahead of us.

"Wow Princess," gasps the purple Toad. "That's a really handy rod!"

He's right, and it's one that I should carry around more often. However, were it to fall into Bowser's hands, we could be dealing with more trouble than we bargained for. Ordinarily, I borrow its power and leave the scepter locked away.

This time, however, things are different.

Carefully, we navigate the dungeon-like rooms, moving quickly to the back of the building. Aside from chains and stones, I fail to take in the surroundings; it's not my first time in one of these, and I highly doubt it will be my last. This fort in particular is especially not noteworthy, given how the Grasslands have a plain design; while poor for defenses, it has a comforting simplicity to it.

While we move along the linear trail back and upwards, the purple Toad finds an unused block and jumps up, punching it open. A red flower pops up from the top and he grabs it. Glowing briefly, his attire changes from purple and white to red and purple.

"All right, now I'm Fire Toad!" he cheers.

The green Toad laughs, then runs off and jumps up higher. Moving my staff to guide him, I realize that he's making his way to another block, knocking it open to grab a blue flower. With a flash, his attire of green and white becomes blue and green. He makes his way back down from the plateaus above.

"Ice Toad reporting for duty!" comes his joyous cry.

Presently, we reach the studded red door. It's laughable how these essentially say, "This way to the boss of building, step right in!" Nevertheless, we would be lost without it.

"Are you both ready?" I ask. They may be properly equipped now, but one hit from the enemy and they're back to normal Toads.

The duo glances to one another, and then turns to me, both nodding. "Let's go, Princess!" they shout simultaneously. Smiling, I open the door and we walk through. Ominously, it shuts behind us.

My heart feels like it jumps, but I tighten my grip on my scepter. There is no turning back anymore.

We race ahead, rushing down the long hall to the main room. Ahead, we can hear a shout of horror. One of the Toads is in danger. A surge of anger rises within me, and, heels be damned, I double my running speed. My escorts shout, trying their best to keep up with me.

At the end of the hall, we move to the wider room, looking inside. It's a bit brighter than the rest of the fortress, enough to see the large Piranha that slashes his leaf at Luigi, who barely jumps away. The red head turns up, almost as if he can look at us. Its yellow petals are bent, presumably from the fight with Luigi and the Toads with him. His body, much too small to properly carry the head around, looks a little worn, but I can tell from a glimpse that it's still rearing for a fight.

Petey Piranha readies to attack us, flapping his leaf-like arms to fly. His mouth opens, and if the fangs weren't enough to intimidate us, he lets loose a menacing roar.

I can almost hear Luigi's startled cries before he sounds them: "Princess?! W-What are you doing here?!"

He's universally ignored, however, as Petey fires a sludge bomb down at us. The Toads run off to the left, while I break to the right. Looking to the wall, I can see the yellow and blue Toads are injured and I run for them. Casting just a look back, I swerve out of my charge and dive away, dodging another ball of sludge.

"Keep going, Princess!" the Fire Toad shouts and shoots a fireball at Petey, scorching a leaf. "We can handle him!"

Regaining my footing, I run back to the injured Toads. Quickly whispering another incantation, a soft pink light sparkles from the scepter and whirls around the two. Coughing, they push themselves up from the group.

"P…Princess?" the blue Toad asks, his voice with slight disbelieve, but mostly weary.

"What are you doing here?" the yellow Toad questions, a little less worse for wear.

"Ending this," is all I leave them with before turning back to Petey, who slams back into the ground and knocks the purple Toad away, zapping him of his Fire Flower power.

"Hang on," calls the Ice Toad, firing an ice ball at Petey and freezing his legs in place. With another roar, he fires another sludge bomb, dousing the green Toad. When he pops back out, his Ice Flower power is gone.

As Petey rears to attack again, Luigi jumps off the back wall and plummets down on Petey's head, but gets tossed away with ease. Running to him, another drop of sludge cuts me off.

Turning, I look directly at Petey Piranha. Tapping my rod, it flashes and a pink fireball appears in my hand. "Enough," is what I leave him with, as I lob the fireball at his body, scorching him. Petey emits a sharp cry of pain. His body flashes with a red and blue burst, and he coughs, sputtering sludge from his mouth.

Defeated, Petey breaks the ice from his legs and thrashes through the back of the fortress, fumbling away. Panting, I look around. The four Toads have gathered together, helping Luigi up from the ground.

"Peach, what was that?!" exclaims Luigi.

"Petey Piranha," I answer, a bit mockingly. "You have faced him before, right?"

"That's not what I mean and you know it," Luigi retorts, still flustered as he brushes himself off.

"Look, I couldn't wait at the castle forever," I explain. "That's never been me, and you know that. Mario is in peril and we need to rescue him in record time."

"Don't you think that I understand that?" protests Luigi. "What if Bowser hastens that death sentence that he's been threatening if Petey manages to get back to him and reports what just happened?"

His words hit me harder than any of Petey's sludge bursts could have. I was so eager to stop the Grasslands from being kept under enemy control that I didn't look at the bigger picture.

Shaking it off, I respond, "No matter; I'll send some of my forces to cut Petey from making it back to Bowser. We're not going to submit to his demands, Luigi. We're taking back these kingdom lands whether he likes it or not. And we will rescue Mario along with them."

My determination must have rocked him to his core somewhat, because he doesn't say anything after that. The Toads cheer as I hold my scepter up. No more Ms. Nice Princess from here on out. My patience is worn out.

"The Mushroom Kingdom is ours and I will take it back by whatever means necessary!"

They clap for me as we make our way from the fort. I'm proud that we were able to save the Grasslands, but the pang of worry settles deep into my stomach, mixing with the surges of confidence. We're just getting started.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

As we step back into the castle, I reluctantly let Mario slip from my arm and back into his room. "Good luck," he whispers and I wink, giving a small smile as he closes the door. My face falls almost immediately after and my heart sinks. It's been difficult enough as it is to hide Mario from everyone in the castle already, but hiding him from my son will prove damn near impossible.

And suddenly, my heart picks up again. My son! He's home! My smile curls back up and I'm elated to let that fact hit me. Until now, I hadn't realized just how much I missed the boy. Now, I eagerly wait for him to come into the halls.

Once the doors open, I barely see him before I spill out, "Junior! Welcome home, son! I…" My cheer slowly dies as I take a closer look and see seven certain Koopas trail behind him. Junior runs forward and hugs me, but I take a minute to respond in kind. He backs up soon after and I can't help but let out, "And…you've brought the Koopa…lings…?"

"Yeah," Junior answers, still delighted to see me. "Weren't those your orders, Papa? It's what the Magikoopa told me."

"Uh-huh. Right, of course." Someone either messed up my message or very clearly went against my orders. A flick of annoyance in my head signals for the latter.

"What's with the suit?" questions Roy, as the pink-headed Koopa flicks his red sunglasses. I freeze; I took too long with Mario that I didn't remember to change.

"It's, uh, new," I muster up. "I was in the middle of trying it on."

"Well, it certainly looks sharp, your highness," coos Wendy, as she adjusts her golden bracelets and fixes the bow behind her head.

"T-Thanks," I stammer out. Come on and pull it together!

"You seem a bit tense, Lord Bowser," notes Ludwig as he brushes his blue hair back.

"Ah, yes, you're right," I relent. "Honestly, I'd rather not be parading around in suits while the troops are training, but Snifit that brought me this was so insistent, and I'm pretty uncomfortable being caught basically playing dress-up." Good.

"He-he-he," laughs Lemmy, tossing a yellow star-marked ball up and down. "Bowser playing dress-up. Too funny!"

"Shut up, Lemmy," Junior snaps. Looking back to me, he asks, "So, how's the Princess, Papa?"

"Um, that's, uh, another part of my problems," I pretty much choke out. "You see, this time I managed to grab…Mario."

Subtly, I watch as the Koopalings eyes widen, shocked at the news. Junior giggles.

"Way to go, Papa!" He cheers. "Did you fry him yet?"

"Not exactly," I answer, carefully keeping my tone in check. "To keep it short, he'll be playing Peach's role this time. We're going to use him to barter for the rest of the kingdoms."

"Wow, really?" Junior's enthusiasm fails to falter. "Is that really going to work?"

"I suppose we'll find out soon," I chuckle, thankful that my son's attitude is enough to keep me calmed.

"This should be good," Roy chuckles himself, deciding to be amused with the news. The other Koopalings sound agreements and are slowly pacified.

"Where are you keeping him, anyway?" Larry asks.

"Ah…here, actually," I answer shortly.

"Well, duh," Roy retorts. "He means where in the castle."

"Here," I repeat and the Koopalings shock is borderline comical.

"Which room?" Junior asks, pushing open a nearby door.

I twitch as he jumps backward from the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray, cliffhangers! I'm sorry, I simply cannot resist.
> 
> But hurrah, the Koopalings have arrived on page! (And so has the perspective swap writing style, ha-ha!) Morton and Iggy haven't spoken yet though, so my apologies. I find it hilarious that while I was working on this, (SPOILERS) Bowser Jr. and the seven were confirmed in the new Super Smash Bros. game. (End Spoilers) Now I can act out each of my little scenarios that will eventually occur where Peach single-handedly beats down all 7 Koopalings, yay!
> 
> ...Ok, that's not happening (yet). But yeah, I realized that Peach was missing in action for a bit and was all, "Hey, I made a promise that she wouldn't suck in this story!" Boom, delivered in spades and aces. She literally took control of the chapter and the battles! Go figure!
> 
> So, yeah, to explain, Peach is usually capable of some type of magic in the Mario series, the Smash Bros. series, and most especially, the RPG series. But, because Nintendo likes to leave it open to the players to use head-canons, the literal explanation for these abilities literally is, "MAGIC!" You can tell how satisfied I am by that (spoilers: I'm not), and decided to give her a unique power source. Peach's Scepter (temporary name, perhaps) is now a thing! Beware the most magical lady of war you will ever meet! She also has Toads, so watch your back.
> 
> Speaking of, I intentionally did not have Peach name the Toads because I wanted to have her treat her subjects differently from Bowser. For example, Bowser's a jerk, but remembers or names each of his subjects. Peach, on the other hand, is a sweetheart, but simply does not recognize Toads by name. How sad. If you've noticed, however, these Toads are similar to the Toad brigade, with Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple all appearing here. To be honest, I don't know if there's a difference between those five Toads, the five that popped up in Sunshine, and the Yellow and Blue Toad that help Mario and Luigi in the New Super Mario Bros. games.
> 
> Also, Red is notably absent because he's even more complex, because along with the other Toad confusion, the games don't make it clear if Red Toad is also Captain Toad, nor do they state if this same (or either Toad) is actually the same Toad that appears in the sports games. Apparently, my head-canon is failing me. OH NO! (Side-note: this is probably the first chapter that I didn't introduce a Paper Mario-esque Bowser grunt! Hooray for not needing my little original characters to carry roles! ...Actually, I kind of miss them.)
> 
> Oh, quick shout-outs for Kirby and Pokemon references, which I made intentionally. Sludge Bomb is a Pokemon attack, so I figured that I might as well use it for Petey's sludge spewing. The Kirby one is more subtle: the comment, "easy as a spring breeze," is my little nudge at a mode in a Kirby game, Super Star.
> 
> Anyway, that's it really for this chapter. Toadsworth will hunt you down, so look out. And, of course, next chapter will jump back to Bowser's home troubles and secret affair with Mario. (That makes it sound wrong for some reason, hahaha!) Until then, I hope you've enjoyed, and as always, please leave me a review or message to give comments and criticisms, as they are welcome. Thank you again for reading!


	9. An Uprising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Junior and the Koopalings have returned home to Bowser's Castle, providing one new obstacle for Bowser and Mario to work with. The next one, however, will prove to be more lethal, if left unchecked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, anyone like Koopalings? They're more prominent now! ...If they weren't already.
> 
> (Also, shout-out for the reblog from Tumblr, way back when! I couldn't fit this at the end, so thanks again for being my first fan on that website!
> 
> And shout-out to my first few fans on Ao3! I got several kudos, some from users, and even two comments! Mine don't count, but yours certainly do, so thank you very much! It's the only feedback I get, so that really helps to read! More would be excellent and totally welcomed, if I can persuade more from my readers, but so long as there are readers, that's always nice too.)

**[Bowser]**

Junior jumps from a few mops and brooms falling from the closet he pushed open. I bite my lip a bit and move over to him while the Koopalings snicker.

"All right, that's enough," I growl at them, looking over my son to see if he's hurt.

The boy giggles, "I'm fine, papa. That was pretty funny."

Exhaling a bit, I wait for the laughter to quite down. I open my mouth to speak, only to have Iggy interrupt: "So, which room is he in? Do you want me to whip up a device to keep him locked in?"

"No, I have two guards posted," I comment, realizing the skepticism as the words fall out. Recovering, I add, "And I make sure that their very lives depend on how well they watch him."

Ludwig clears his throat. "Careful Lord Bowser," he advises, "you're…flirting with danger." What? …Not possible. Raising only an eyebrow, he mimics my reaction, but I've caught on to his test. No visible reactions kid, don't forget who trained you.

"Is there anything else you immediately require from us, your highness?" inquires Morton, taking my focus away from Ludwig. "If not, do you have any heads that need knocking?"

"Uh, nothing here," I muse. "You can check on the troops. In fact, all seven of you, go crack down on them. They should be finishing soon, which means they've got some heavy exercises to complete before stopping. Make sure they don't slack at the end."

"Right away, sire," Larry answers, with a bow. He then leads the Koopalings out of the hall.

Sighing, I shake my head. "It's strange how they seem to operate collectively." Junior nods in agreement. "Now son, you said that you were told to bring them back with you?"

The boy looks up at me, puzzled. "Yes, papa. Those were the orders."

"Were they?"

"Papa, you're not old enough to be losing your memory."

We share a laugh, but I'm still disturbed by his sincerity about what he thinks was my message. More frightening, however, is the possibility that I may have trouble brewing within my own ranks. It's not an entirely new concept, but it still—

"Papa? You ok?" I blink, looking back to my son.

"Yes, I'm fine, Junior," I force out with a chuckle. "Just…thinking."

The boy laughs again. "Losing your memory, getting lost in thought, geez, what are you're losing next?"

Scratching my chin, I realize that he may have a point, and that maybe I have lost my mind over…well, everything. And I'm only going to prove that once he asks where Mario is, so I might as well go ahead with that.

"Junior, son, listen" I gather his attention again. "Now, Mario's in that room over there," I speak and point to the door further down the hall.

He gasps. "Right next to your room?! Papa, that's crazy!"

"Maybe, but I need to keep him close," I explain. "If anyone tries to come looking for him, or if he tries to escape, we'll lose our biggest edge over the Mushroom Kingdom and we need that. The best place to keep him is nearest to me, like how I do with Peach."

And I think about the numerous times I've stolen the princess away and kept her in the dungeons until Mario would eventually reach my castle to claim her back. Even though it's early, I'm doing the same with Mario, so I don't understand why that seems so abnormal in everyone's eyes…well, besides the fact that it's Mario. Or is it because it's not Peach?

"Papa," comes the interruption of my thoughts, "are you torturing him anyway?"

Yikes. I forget where I live and enforce. "Not quite, son. We need him here, but we also need him alive." Scratching the back of my head, I decide to lay a new rule. "Junior, I want you to stay away from Mario, all right? The last thing I need is to give him the chance to hurt you or use you to escape."

Waiting for complaints or resistance, I'm shocked as I watch him nod. "I understand, Papa," he replies. "He could be trickier than Peach, huh?"

"He sure could, son!" More like he wouldn't want to, but that's not for him to know. And while Mario probably wouldn't use my son for an escape he's not planning, I still need Junior away from him. Torture…maybe my kingdom needs a bit more order…among various other changes.

"So, do you need anything from me, Papa?"

"Hm? Oh, not at the moment, son. You could help the Koopalings if you want, but I'm sure you could use some rest."

He shakes his head, keeping up his energetic front. "I'll be all right! I didn't sleep as much while I was out conquering, but I'm not sleepy now." He clamps his mouth shut and I watch him struggle to stifle a yawn, with his jaw lowering and cheeks puffed out. Tapping my foot and smirking, he groans, and trudges to the door across from mine, reluctantly retiring into his bedroom.

Letting out a sigh and a yawn of my own, I begin to unbutton my clothes. Resting is a great idea, and I begin to walk to my room. Pausing at Mario's door, however, I wonder if I should take a minute to…no, not now, that would come off…risqué. Yet, I can't help but ponder how Mario would react to me sauntering in as I peel my jacket off and give him suggestive looks and purr sweet nothings.

Shaking my head hard, I toss the notion out of my head. Another yawn slips from me and I continue on to my door. My hand rises, but as my claw reaches for the knob, it slumps back down. Lowering my eyes, I feel my head hit the door and for a moment, my eyes are shut. Forcing them open again, I rub my arm against my eyes. Picking myself up, I reach for the door, but stop at the sound of another one opening.

Turning, I look down the hall and see the Koopalings return. That was…too quick.

"What?" I snap. It's curt and unjustified, but I'm not in the mood for their usual mind games they play.

"Sire, it appears you have an…uprising on your hands," Ludwig muses as he uses a claw to comb his hair.

"What?!" I growl.

"It's not the whole castle, sire," Morton explains, "but some of the Koopa Troop isn't thrilled about Mario still breathing when they can kill him…well, now."

Snorting, I answer, "I've been over this. He needs to live for now, to give Peach hope that she'll be able to save him. Mario needs to stick around until I have full acquisition of the kingdom."

"Well, given our winning record, I think there's some skepticism over that happening," Larry puts in. "There's a group ready to come here now, actually."

"And you're allowing this?!" I roar.

"Absolutely not, sire," Wendy recovers for the septuplet. "That would be treason. We simply needed to come ask you for what we do next."

Grinding my teeth and ready to spew fire any second, I pause for a breath. After exhaling, I move closer to them and murmur, "Set an example."

"You want us to punish them?" Lemmy asks. "In front of everyone?"

"I'm not going to have my orders questioned. This is an unorthodox situation, but as easy as it would be to slice Mario to pieces, to burn him down bit by bit, and to ultimately give the utmost satisfaction to my army, we need him." Pinching my forehead in between my eyebrows, I add, "I've made that clear to you, and I've told the troop repeatedly. There's nothing more I can say and if they're still acting up, I need them to have it drilled in somehow."

"Oh, we'll get it into them, all right," Roy chuckles, taking a little too much delight in my orders. "Hey, Iggy, ya got anything we can use to…help them out?" They're more twisted than I realized.

"I'm sure I have some non-lethal equipment that should aid with their correction treatments," Iggy ponders, practically undeterred by what he's saying. "I'll go grab a few things on the way over to publically decry them. Maybe I can test a few new devices as well." They're a lot more twisted.

"Will that be all, your highness?" Larry inquires.

"Yeah, but don't completely break them down," I hastily return. "No more rebellions, but I still want them to be battle ready. It's not like—"

"Lord Bowser!" thunders a new voice and I look past the Koopalings to see three Koopas, seven Goombas, a Hammer Bro., and two Fire Bros. waiting in the doorway to the stairwell.

"Oopsie," Wendy giggles nervously. "Did we leave the door open?" I'm tempted to fry her for that.

"Sire," a red-shelled Koopa steps forward and speaks, "would you truly keep us from our justice? He's killed our families, our friends, good Koopas and—"

"Have you only been half-listening?" I interrupt. "I've said multiple times that he's needed. I want revenge as much as any of you, but that's not the only thing that I can focus on. Mario is too useful to kill right away over our grudges. Any other time would have been fine, but this is useful right here and now to us."

"The longer you keep him alive," a Goomba with green eyes starts up this time, "the more likely it will be that he escapes, or that he comes after us again! Everyone in the castle knows this!"

"There could be ways that we can fake his appearance to the Mushroom Kingdom," a Fire Bro. joins the others. "The Magikoopas have spells, we can pull his clothes from his corpse, there are other ways we can pull off this charade."

It takes quite a bit for me not to shudder or spit a fireball at him. "For the last time," I repeat myself, "no, we are keeping him alive."

"Then forgive us, sire," a green Koopa speaks up this time, "but we're going over your head on this. We don't want him for political gambits, especially if we can end it here and dominate the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom by sheer force. The Toads won't rally over his death; they would fall into despair."

"You're severely underestimating them if you truly believe that," I blink as the words come from my mouth.

"They're not clever enough to handle us," the Hammer Bro. cries out now. "We can take them all down! We're the Koopa Troop! They will perish under us, that's how we work!"

"Enough!" I roar. "Leave now, or—"

"No!" a red eyed Goomba shouts out. "We'll go right past you if we have to!"

Letting out a heavy sigh, I realize that they will try. "Roy, Morton," I turn to the Koopalings and the two called step forward. "Discipline them."

"Yes, your highness," Morton bows his head.

"Aw, I've been waiting for this!" Roy laughs and cracks his knuckles.

For a moment, there's stillness in the air and no one moves. Roy breaks that by taking a step forward and the Fire Bros. are the first to launch attacks, shooting fireballs at us. Morton whips out his wand, fires a spell, and blocks both shots.

Roy rushes forward, punching the closest Koopa and knocking him back onto his shell. Two Goombas and the Hammer Bro. attempt to retaliate, but Morton leaps into the air and crashes down, sending a shockwave that knocks the trio away.

The black-shelled Koopaling then grabs one of the Fire Bros. and tosses him into the other. After that, the remaining Goombas gather close together and try to create a tower formation for a counterattack, but Roy shoulders the stack and they fall to the floor. With only two Koopas remaining, Morton and Roy close in on them.

"We'll give you one last chance, so try not to anger us," Morton's low-voiced offer sounds. "Stop and admit you're wrong. Continue your opposition and suffer the consequences."

"You know we're right!" cries the red-shelled Koopa. "We can't leave Mario alive when we have him weak and at our mercy!"

A blue fireball whizzes through the air and knocks the defiant Koopa back against the wall. I turn my head to watch Ludwig cast another one at the remaining Koopa, who slams into the wall and crashes down next to his comrade.

"Apologies, my King, my brothers," Ludwig lets out with a light laugh. "I grew bored with their constant declarations of vengeance."

"It's cool," Roy laughs. "Morton and I got enough punches in."

Ludwig pats the end of his scepter on his hand, looking up at me. "You're right, sire. They're clouded by a thirst for Mario's blood and refuse to see this logically." He pauses and studies the rebels before continuing. "At first, I had doubts of my own, but hearing it come from you again, Lord Bowser, it's begun to make sense."

"It's crafty and sneaky, just how I'd do it," cackles Larry. My head nods in response, but I'm awed that they're finally consenting to my plans. Not that the Koopalings are ones to disobey, but I was worried they wouldn't this time around.

"They live, sire," Morton's voice echoes my mind back into focus. "Shall we continue their punishment now, or…?"

"No, that's enough," I shake my head, part response, and part disbelief. "Bring these thirteen to the dungeons. If anyone attempts this again, and I'm sure they will, this group will be used to set examples of what happens when you question my orders. Their names will be known for their foolishness."

Nodding, the seven Koopalings move to gather the group and drag them away. Some stir and shout cries for Mario's blood. They're knocked out soon after that. Within a minute or two, the Koopalings have taken the rebels away.

Part of me waits for the stairwell doors to pop open again, and I'm not sure what I expect, but I stand still for a while, uncertain of what to anticipate next, and unable to do anything else. A door opens behind me and I turn to look at my son.

"Papa," he starts but I shake my head.

"Go back in, Junior," I whisper, walking over to push him back in. He hugs me and I freeze for a minute before hugging him back.

"I know you know what you're doing," he quietly cheers, and then walks back into his bedroom. I feel a smile creep onto my face and I'm filled with warmth knowing that my son is back in the castle.

It dissipates when I think about it for too long and I go back to watching the doors.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

The shouting from the hall outside has quieted down, swept away by silence. My heart races, pounds against my chest, as I reflect on what I had heard. That group of soldiers, enemies, would defy Bowser and risk their livelihood, just to kill me. A pang hits my stomach and I clutch it, wincing.

It's not the traitor-soldiers themselves that terrify me; I've fought many bigger and stronger adversaries. How close they were was unsettling, but the fact that they went against Bowser and probably would have came in here without their king blocking the way frightens me, haunts me. A shiver passes through me, rebounding from the top of my head down to my feet, back and forth for a bit.

And while the idea of death is horrible enough, Bowser losing control on his troops is almost equally shocking, rivaling my personal fears for survival.

Tugging my torn glove, I try to shake things off a little, breathe again. My suit is back on its hanger and I had just enough time to switch back into my ragged clothes. They smell a bit better, but I'm not sure who would have cleaned them a bit, let alone cleaning anything of mine at all.

Glancing at the walls, I scratch my head. Even though it's morning, the room doesn't look any brighter; I've grown used to it, but I still wonder how sunlight simply refuses to shine through the blackened skyline, even if it just passes through a crack.

Yet, it's not enough to keep my attention, however, and I'm back to worrying about Bowser and myself. I try to think of Luigi and Peach, but the two of them worrying about my wellbeing only turns into another punch at my gut.

With a deep sigh, I sit on the bed for a minute and tug my cap back into its rightful place. My hand slips from the top of my head and I press my cheek against it, leaning over and trying to quell my anxieties, become calm.

When I fail to do so, I jump back up. Moving to the door, I slowly, carefully turn the knob and pull the door open. Hearing just the slightest creak, I grasp the edge to reduce the sound, just a bit. Peering out, I see Bowser whirl his head to look at me as I try to look down the hall where he was gazing.

Noticing some scuffle marks and what might be charred walls, I glance back to Bowser, who moved closer and waves his hand at my room, his lips wording, "in." Huffing, I give him an annoyed look and tap my foot. He grumbles before swiftly slipping to my door, pushing both of us back into my room, and closes the door behind himself.

"What are you doing?!" he hisses at me. "The Koopalings and my son were just out there, they could have seen you!"

"Well, they already know that I'm here," I whisper, trying to sound a little nasty to him, but it sounds more like I have a cough I'm holding in.

His eyes widen regardless. "Then you…heard everything," he starts out asking, but finishes it as a fact. I nod and he pulls on his fallen face with his hand.

"To be fair, it was difficult not to," I protest, but he shakes his head, drops it, and sits down on my bed.

"I'm sorry. Yesterday, when you said they wouldn't care, you were right," Bowser replies, with his voice cracking a bit. "I didn't think they'd be this quick about it though, and I should have done better with protecting you."

My face twists a bit and I feel my grimace; I shouldn't need his security. Suddenly, I imagine myself as weak and it frustrates me to be even remotely powerless.

"You did protect me though," I state, holding back on the edge, self-loathing that's now brimming in my mind. "You were there and Koopalings managed to fend them off. I did call it, but you didn't allow it, just like you said."

He turns to me with a smile and his face picks up, but his mouth drops back to a frown when his eyes meet mine. "Um, Mario? Are you all right?" My brows are lowered over my eyes and I must look angry.

"Fine," I lie, but Bowser lowers his eyes, signaling that he's not oblivious to my thoughts. "Ok, I'm annoyed at myself for needing you." His eyes pick back up and he raises an eyebrow. "I shouldn't have to depend on you to keep me safe. I can take care of myself against your troops."

Bowser laughs. "I don't think I'd want you to do that. You can be…a bit forceful, I should say." Biting my cheek, I remember that he has more than me to keep safe. "You're not helpless, Mario. If you think that you haven't proven that countless times, you indeed are a moron. Fighting your way out of my castle doesn't solve anything though. Unless you want to break my heart." He stops and gives me an exaggerated sad look, pushing his bottom lip out and trying to make his eyes tear up. I softly kick him and he laughs again. "You know, you're a lot calmer than Peach. She would have hit me several times over if I tried even moving this close to her. And she hits harder than I like to admit." He winces at the memories and I smile.

"Yes, you're right," I relent. It doesn't make me ok with things the way they are now, but he understands how to make me feel better.

"Of course I am! I'm allowed to be too, you know," he grins and presses his foot on mine, grinding it a bit.

"Only when I need you to be, sure," I jest and laugh at his shocked face. Moving closer, I lean on him, pressing my hands against his unbuttoned shirt and jacket. He wiggles his eyebrows and I bop his nose for it. "I think you need to go get some rest," I mock him, trying to mimic his voice a bit.

He laughs at the attempt and pulls me in for a hug. "What have I been doing without you for so long?"

"Trying to beat me up, for starters," I tease as I hug him back. His laughter vibrates against me and I feel his belly bounce.

We break from embrace and wait for a bit, just looking at each other. Bowser sighs and gets back up. "I'll have Iggy work on something. He can whip something up to keep everyone else away from you."

Grabbing him for a second, I squeeze his hand and he squeezes back. I want him to stay, but he's been in here too long already. With his son right across the hall now, it's only become increasingly dangerous to be together. Letting that sink into my mind, I wince as my stomach takes another blow. Releasing Bowser, my hand drops down and back to my side.

"Hey," he beckons me and I look back up. "Hang in there. You keep me going too." He leaves before I can reaffirm his words, but I realize that he knows.

There's a little jolt of hope in me, that in spite of increasing obstacles, we still have a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I don't think I've mentioned it before, so for those of you that don't know, Nintendo's current story for the Koopalings is that they're not Bowser's kids. And that comes from Miyamoto himself, from a 2012 interview I think, which makes it hard to go up against. It's really confusing, but the only actual game they were referred as Bowser's legitimate children was their debut in Super Mario Bros. 3, and it's never been said in the games, so they are allowed back pedal on it and say that only Junior is Bowser's kid, since he's the only one with that confirmed in-game (Sunshine).
> 
> For this story, no one's really brought it up, but if there's anyone who's wondering why the Koopalings aren't getting the same degree of love as Junior and are addressing Bowser as their king instead of their father, that's because I'm trying to keep up with the current continuity. Watch them pull a fast one tomorrow and claim that they are still his kids? Ah, that's going to make this awkward. What's also confusing is if there's supposed to be a leader of the Koopalings (most say Ludwig, but some say Larry), so now I understand why they were left out of games for so long (not really, that only made it worse). At least they're still siblings! Can you imagine if they weren't related to each other at all? I mean, it's got potential and could provide another fresh look at them, but I like them related.
> 
> Anyway, I'm now satisfied that each of the Koopalings have dialogue and fairly established roles. In the games, they don't really have established personalities either, so I may be caving a little and going with what's stereotypical of them. Ludwig is the brainy one, Larry's sneaky, Roy's the cool/tough guy, Lemmy's childish, and Wendy is snooty, but also likes to be on Bowser's good side. Recent games, I think, note that Iggy is kind of the gadget guy on the team, so I'm working that in alongside with a dose of absentmindedness or apathy. I like to think the difference between him and Ludwig is that though Ludwig is smarter, Iggy does more work, but possibly at the cost of his emotions.
> 
> The most difficult Koopaling to work with is Morton. In the old cartoons, he's portrayed as a motor-mouth, which I don't really picture him as anymore, despite the huge mouth. In the Super Mario Bros. 3 manuals, he was kind of grouchy. However, in the Japanese manuals for the same game had a little quote from him that makes him seem more clever about things. So, I decided to go a bit along that route, making him more level-headed, but also tough like Roy, since they are the biggest and strongest amongst the group. In a way, Morton may be the strongest, but just lets Roy think that he is.
> 
> To help with the concept of their strange absences within the series timeline (because Mario totally has one, right? not really, I know), I decided to make them not undyingly loyal to Bowser. Do they usually follow orders and cooperate with him? Yes. Do they like him? Sure do. Do they agree with every scheme and comply without second thoughts? Eh...that's where I decided to cast some doubt, which is why Bowser's surprised that they're with him on this (for now?). He doesn't use the same units for every battle, which plays more into switching up tactics than into lack of cooperation, but I like to imagine that sometimes, Bowser's army isn't always 100% compliant with his demands. Hence the currently unnamed rebels! There's 13 total, so I might try to be clever on naming them with numbers. (Kidding, I'm only weird with colors...or am I?! Ok, I'll stop.) And, like too many characters in this story, they'll be back! ...Maybe!
> 
> And, of course, more Bowsario fluff at the end, because this is still a Romance story. (No, Drama must tip the scales! More Action! More Fantasy! More Comedy! BLAHAHAHAHA! ...What?) And there were no letters in this chapter as well, how tragic...but don't worry, they'll come into play. Mario and Bowser writing isn't just a stress reliever...or, it won't be for the whole story. (But that would be spoilers, so no more for you!) Nothing much to comment on there, unless you didn't find it cute and you're somehow still not shipping this couple, in which case, I'm failing. Now that would be tragic indeed.
> 
> Oh, and I did try to make Bowser a caring dad and I'm not planning to neglect Junior for shipping funs. He comes with the territory and hopefully that's prominent enough. Maybe I should devote a chapter to father/son bonding stuff. (Family genre too? HOW MANY DO I USE IN THIS STORY?!)
> 
> All right, I've talked too much, so I'll just cut it off here. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! If you'd like send me a review or message for comments and criticisms, because they are welcome. And I say it a lot, but I really mean it, so thank you again for reading!


	10. A Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orders are carried out at Bowser's Castle, in which the Koopalings deal with Bowser's dissenters. Meanwhile, a new arrival has appeared at Peach's Castle, as Toadsworth has words with the rebellious princess herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, remember when I said "maybe" about using those 13 again? Yeah...that's more of a "yes" than I realized. But cheer up! We have another new character to introduce! Oh, and drama stuff.
> 
> Ah, and this chapter starts a little different from the previous ones. Something like…a neutral perspective! (And then regular character POVs in brackets again.) Enjoy!

A crowd was gathered just outside the castle. On the front balcony, Iggy and Lemmy stood on right side, while Larry and Ludwig waited on the left. Wendy stood in the center of their raised stage, with the Koopa Troop below wondering what they were doing.

"Does anyone understand why all of the Koopalings are standing around up there?" asked a confused Ice Bro. to no one in particular.

"No idea," came the hushed response of a Shy Guy that walked by. "But there's only five of them around. There are seven Koopalings, which means that something's going on."

"Ehehehe…we should watch and find out," cackled a Boo that joined their conversation.

A door slammed open, and the audience gathered below jumped. They watched as Roy appeared to the front of the balcony, pointing forward. Wendy cleared her throat and spoke aloud.

"Pyre," she announced, in a voice that had a mix of authority and sinister delight. A Fire Bro. in handcuffs stepped forward, taking the end spot at the very edge of the balcony. "Pyro." Another Fire Bro. in cuffs walked forward, keeping his head down, and moved to the edge of the balcony next to the first.

"What is the meaning of this?" a Magikoopa whispered the question out.

"Hush," hissed a Monty Mole. "We'll find out soon."

Wendy continued over the quiet talks of the assembly below, "Ren." A red-shelled Koopa Troopa with handcuffs came forward, notably annoyed. "Bill." As the first Koopa moved to the end of the line, a blue-shelled Koopa appeared, looking worried. "Garen." The third, calmer Koopa Troopa, green-shelled, joined the other two at the end with the Fire Bros. The throng grew a little louder, more curious over those called.

"Hey," spoke an orange-shelled Koopa Troopa from the ground below. "Don't I know those guys?"

"Quiet, quiet!" urged a Buzzy Beetle. "You want to end up there next?"

"Wheezy, Baldy, Grumpy, Sleepy, Jumpy, Happy, and…Doc," Wendy announced aloud, sounding almost disappointed by the last name. Seven Goombas in shackles bounced up to the front of the balcony, struggling as they gathered on the opposite side of the Koopas.

"Hey whoa," shouted a bouncing Goomba. "Those are the guys I know!"

"Shaddup!" came a Lakitu that flew low and bopped the Goomba. "You're gonna get the resta us in trouble, ya goon!"

"Quiet down," Wendy calmly called out to the Troop below, silencing them. "Sledge."

A cuffed Hammer Bro. that wore a scowl across his face made his way forward and took the center of the balcony, standing in front of Wendy. Morton strode forward, taking Roy's place on the left, as the purple-shelled Koopaling made his way to right side. As he passed, he bent down and shifted a podium forward, allowing Wendy to step up. Roy walked to the right side and stood alongside Iggy and Lemmy.

"Hello, and thank you, to those of you gathered and watching, listening," Wendy's cheerful voice rang out to the Koopa Troop. "Here, I have gathered thirteen treasonous fools that defied the King's orders and decided to make an attempt on our prime prisoner's life."

"Wait…what?" dared the Koopa to let out, being the only one to do so at first.

"Does…she mean Mario?" inquired the Ice Bro. His companions were prompted to reply, setting off a slight chain of answers.

"Why would they stop them?" asked the Magikoopa. More chattering sounded.

"I don't see the problem here," the Goomba observed, with the conversations growing louder.

"SILENCE!" screeched Wendy, her voice sounding over the rest of the talking, quieting them once again. Composing herself, she delightfully continued, "Now then, these thirteen are to be punished for this indiscretion. Does anyone know the usual punishment for treason?" Not a soul answered her, too afraid to speak again. Pleased with the response, Wendy, in a more solemn voice, announced the response, "Death."

Expressions of the thirteen paled and tensed, showing that they had not been informed, but had expectations of this news. Gasps and cries rang out from the crowd below.

"However," Wendy picked up her voice again, though its tone changed from delight to bored. "The gracious King Koopa has decided that to be too steep of a castigation for the first offenders. Therefore, death will be the sentence only to those who follow the actions of these foolish fiends." Though the whispers started again, they were less in number, and died out quickly. "Instead, the sentence for the group that stands before you…will be the Bowser Games." Awe sounded again from the troops below.

"Damn it," hissed Ren.

"No, no, no," trembled Bill.

"Wait, what does that mean?" whispered Garen. "What are those?"

"It's torture sentence," Sledge answered. "We'll be competing against these brats for our survival in sick and twisted little scenarios. Bowser brings them to Mario's parties on a whim, but they're more dangerous for the rest of us."

When the rest of the prisoners began to react, the six Koopalings on either side growled and threatened to lash out at them, quickly quieting them.

"These games are scheduled to begin next week," Wendy excitedly picked up again. "For now, they will remain in the dungeons. Anyone astonishingly stupid enough to go after them shall join these thirteen in a new execution sentence." Silence overtook the audience once again. "Thank you all for your time! Remember, continue your usual operations and schedules, or else you might just end up like these felons!"

With a wicked laugh, Wendy stepped away from the podium, as Roy and Morton led the thirteen back from the balcony, shoving them back inside the castle. Ludwig and Larry followed them in. Wendy stood and admired as the Koopa Troop that had gathered below quickly dispersed and went back to their usual business. Iggy and Lemmy met her in the middle.

"Wow, that was a great sentencing, sis!" cheered Lemmy as he bounced over to her.

"Sure was," Iggy agreed. "Next time, I'll make sure the Super Silencer is functioning, so you can really shut the crowd up."

"Thank you, boys," giggled Wendy. "Oh, and it's no trouble, Iggy. I prefer commanding their attention."

With that, the trio strolled inside, following their brothers.

* * *

 

**[Luigi]**

Breathing in the fresh air of the sunny afternoon, I exhaled heavily, following Peach and the Toads back to the castle courtyard. Though I'm still short of breath with chasing them about, we've slowed our pace and I've caught up with them again. The four Toads running quickly through the fields, I understood. Princess Peach? The woman who can dash with the wind in heels and a long dress? Not so much.

As we made our way through Toad Town, I noticed that the citizens were out and about again, ripping away the boards on their homes and shops, appearing much more cheerful and masking the frightened faces that I left behind with Bowser's assault. Some paraded around, zipping with extended arms, happy to just feel the wind whipping them again. Another group of Toads gathered flowers in the field, removing dead ones and weeds, chatting up a storm with one another, and planting new seeds. Almost everyone took a moment to stop and either wave, cheer, or bow as we passed.

Straightening up as we march through the town, I still had heavy arms and throbbing legs, but I kept the posture, allowing the town to feel more at ease with their heroes returning.

Approaching the bridge, I observed that the construction workers have returned to work on rebuilding it. They haven't made much progress since I watched them from the castle, which feels like ages ago, but it's understandable, given the circumstances that arose as Bowser's army approached. Shattered stones still needed to be swept away, but now that the Grasslands are back under our control, I relaxed my body and breathed, confident that things will begin to pick up around here again.

"And now we're just a few steps away from being murdered," muttered one of the Toads, though I missed which one. The four nodded their heads at one another, and I lose myself trying to understand.

"Hush," Peach shushed the quartet, and they let out a simultaneous sigh before doing so. "I'll handle him. Remember, we need supplies, so there's no avoiding this."

Pulling at my mustache, I'm on the verge of asking what they're talking about when I heard a sudden, "Whoa!" and other noisy cheers. Turning, I saw a green dinosaur charging at me. A rough tackle sent us both to the ground, and he wrapped his arms tightly around me.

"Yoshi! Yoshi!" chirped the eponymous dinosaur.

"Yoshi…heavy…" was my limited response. Doing my best to look up past Yoshi's big head, the Toads erupted in laughter.

Peach, however, had her hands at her hips. "Yoshi, what do you think you're doing?" She scolded. "Get off of Luigi. He's quite exhausted from today's return trip."

The green dinosaur let out a sigh, pushing up from the ground and I, bouncing back to his feet. He jumped, and then kicked his legs into a flutter. "Wow! Yoshi!" he happily announced.

"PRINCESS!" thundered a voice from within the castle. Hitting the side of my head, it clicked; Toadsworth couldn't have been angrier.

"Gracious, I don't have the strength to deal with all of this," Peach groaned. Moving her scepter around, she whispered something and pointed it at Yoshi. A gold collar of dust wrapped around his throat and swirled around for a bit. It then pulled apart and vanished as Peach marched toward the castle. After exchanging nervous glances with one another, the Toads followed.

"Yikes, they're in trouble," Yoshi murmured.

Scratching my head, I mumbled, "Yeah, I…" Pause. My eyes widened. "Yoshi, did you just talk?!"

He bounced and answered, "Yep, I talk a lot! You don't usually answer me this directly though."

"N-No, but you…those are complete sentences!" I managed to gasp out.

He turned his head to give me a sideways look. "I always do that, Luigi! I'm smart too, you know. Peach was right, you must be super exhausted!"

"But you…I…did she just…?" Sighing, I shook my head. "Never mind."

Wagging his tail and humming, Yoshi and I followed the others back to the castle. He bumped into me a few times, and I wonder how Mario dealt with the large lack of personal space.

Trying to get him to back off a little, I whispered, "Yoshi, uh…could you—"

"Help out?" Yoshi interrupted as he grabbed my arm and stubbed my feet. "That's what I'm here for! Toads told me that Mario got kidnapped by Bowser."

"Yes, but that's not—"

"Necessary, right? Sure it is! Mario and you are my favorite pals!" He gave my arm a squeeze and bumped his head against me. Yoshi's cheerful disposition made it almost impossible to really get angry with him. Instead, I just bit my lip and bottled it in…which I do more frequently than I care to admit.

As we made our way to the throne room, we walked in to see Toadsworth had already started on Peach, and swiftly moved to scold the Toads. With a red face and a cane that flew wildly about the air around him, angry Toadsworth was doubled as scary Toadsworth. Releasing my arm, Yoshi sped behind me, now putting his hands on my shoulders and only peeking out.

"And you four!" Toadsworth boomed. "Letting your princess wander off like that! An absolute disgrace! How could you let her get so far? She could have been kidnapped or killed! Bowser would win! Doesn't that very thought disgust you?! This kingdom would be in peril and disarray! I hope you're all feeling ashamed of yourselves. This is outrageously despicable!"

The Blue Toad stepped forward from his shivering quartet, whimpering, "B-But two o-of us w-wuh-weren't—"

"No excuses!" snapped Toadsworth.

"Toadsworth, that's enough!" Peach intervened. "Two of these Toads were with Luigi, who was struggling at the fortress. And I coerced the other two into guarding me as we ventured over there to rescue them! They were following my orders and were quite brave."

Tugging on his mustache, Toadsworth's voice lowered a bit, but still contained all of the rage from before. "That doesn't change a thing! Princess, this was completely irresponsible on all of your parts! And mine, for not keeping a sharper eye on you!"

"Toadsworth, we were fine," Peach argued. "I had the scepter with me and—"

"You took the Royal Scepter?!" gasped Toadsworth. "Are you completely out of your mind?! Do you have any idea what would happen if that fell into Bowser's scaly claws?!"

"Toadsworth, I'm not a child!" huffed Peach.

"Then stop acting like one!" lectured Toadsworth. "Honestly, Princess, this was a completely naïve action that endangered multiple lives. What would your parents think or say if they—?"

"They aren't here, Toadsworth," snapped Peach. With a blink, I could have missed it, but Peach's demeanor went icy cold. Her face, which was a little annoyed before, was now starkly filled with anger.

Realizing too late that he had stepped over the line, Toadsworth lowered his cane and tugged harder on his mustache. He attempted to reach up to her, trying to apologize, "Princess, forgive me, that was uncalled for—"

"Enough," Peach held her hand up and Toadsworth stopped. Her voice was firm, but almost void of any emotion. "We returned for supplies, not for lectures. You will give each of the Toads and Luigi a Power-Up, from whatever reserves we have. I'll recharge the scepter and then we will be on our way out again. Is that clear?"

He nodded. The earlier angry Toadsworth was somehow nothing compared to this sudden change in Peach. My eyes wandered to the Toads, but they were huddled together, shaking harder from Peach's voice than from Toadsworth. Yoshi wrapped his arms around me from behind, shivering a bit and spreading it to me. Looking around at the guards near the door, they simply pretended not to hear anything and made sure not to make eye contact with anyone.

"Good." Sucking in a breath of air and letting it out again, Peach turned to her throne. "Go now, Toadsworth. They're waiting. The more time we waste here, the worse the rest of the kingdom becomes."

Bowing, I heard a faint, "Yes, your Highness." Gathering the Toads like he was suddenly their protective grandfather, Toadsworth ushered the six of us from the throne room.

"Toadsworth, what was…?" I started to ask, but when he shook his head, I left it at that.

Silently, the six of us followed the old steward to a supply room. Hardly anyone took notice of us as we passed through the halls, going about their busybody business and cheerfully moving along. For the first time, I wondered what secrets were buried within Peach's Castle. Did Mario know anything about them?

Between Yoshi's constant dangling on me, as well as getting continuously sidetracked by the passing Toads, I soon gave up on my thoughts as we arrived at the room. The shelves were almost barren, offering a very limited selection.

"I have four power-ups remaining here," Toadsworth murmured. "You'll have to decide which among you will go without one."

"I will," I answered quickly. While these are brave Toads to come this far with me, they'll need whatever abilities we can grab much more than I will.

"Wait," interrupted the Yellow Toad. "We should, um, pool the items together, instead of using them now. That way, all of us can use them later when we need them most."

"Excellent idea, lad," Toadsworth answered, grabbing an Item Bag to put them in. The four items were a Fire Flower, a Super Bell, a Propeller Mushroom, and a Penguin Suit. For a moment, I thought I had noticed a Cape Feather, but it turned out to be an ordinary one from a feather duster. Tightly tying the bag, Toadsworth handed it to the Purple Toad to carry. "Take good care of it, boys. You'll need it."

We nodded, but Yoshi laughed. "Don't worry! I can just chomp down on whatever enemies we happen to run across! And we can fire my eggs right back at the baddies too!"

Blinking, the five Toads exchanged perplexed glances with one another. Finally, Toadsworth asked the Green Toad, "Does she use that scepter for everything now?" The Green Toad nervously chuckled and shrugged. Sighing, Toadsworth shook his head and shooed us from the room.

"I guess we'll wait for Peach outside," I suggested and the others agreed, making their way outside. Trying to follow them, I'm held back by a tug at my overalls. As I turned back, it was Toadsworth who met my gaze.

"Please, Master Luigi," he begged, "I know this isn't normally your cup of tea, but please protect the Princess and the Toads at all costs." There's more that I wanted to ask him about before answering, but I studied his face to find tears welling up behind his spectacles. Breathing out through my nose, I silently nodded to reassure him. He bowed before walking away.

Going the opposite direction, I chased after the Toads, catching up with Yoshi, who stopped to wait for me. "What happened? Did you guys find another Power-Up?" I shook my head, unable to share the rest of what happened. Whether he was too happy to care or polite enough to let it go, I was relieved that Yoshi didn't press the issue further.

Instead, I decided to catch up with him. "So, Yoshi, how's the Island?"

"It's all right, for now," he cheerfully hummed.

"For now?" I questioned. "Is everything ok?"

"Oh, yeah, but I doubt it will stay that way," he explained. "If Bowser's going after the whole kingdom, I'm sure someone will be sent to Yoshi's Island to take over."

"That's terrible," I murmured. "Yoshi, why don't you stay there?"

"Oh, the others can handle it," he laughed. "We don't need every single Yoshi to defend our Island. Besides, you guys need all the help you can get to find Mario!" He sighed. "I miss him already. I hope he's ok."

While I hoped for the same, I tried to convince both of us with, "He's fine. Mario can handle himself in tough situations. He probably just needs to wait for the right moment to escape on his own."

Yoshi bounced with his steps at my response. "Yep, you're probably right!" His stomach suddenly growled. "Whoa! I'm getting hungry again. Do they have any fruit around here?" I chuckled as he sniffed the air, and then huffed at the lack of food scents.

We walked outside, met the Toads near a tree, and sat down. The four chattered to one another and asked Yoshi a few questions, but I paid little attention to them. I got lost in glancing around at the castle courtyard, watching Toads traveling to and from Peach's Castle, running various errands or doing some sight seeing of their own. Sighing, I gazed out to the sky, watching various clouds pass by in the sunset bathed sky and an occasional leaf fall from the tree. Patting my overalls, I felt Mario's letter was still safely tucked away, and was tempted to read more. However, from what I read, this seemed like something I shouldn't share with the others.

"The problem is that I don't really tell anyone about it," he wrote. "People think that everything is under control. Not even my brother has any clue at just how entranced I am." And reading that alone was enough to frighten me. He goes on past that and talks about his struggle "playing the hero," but I need to read more to understand. Once I read it through, alone, I'll see if it's something that I can share.

Something suddenly plopped on my legs and I jerked at the weight of it. Or him. Looking back down, Yoshi had fallen asleep and landed on my lap. I'd grown so used to him being on top of me that I hadn't realized how close he had gotten. Resting his head and chest against me, I felt his breath against me as his body expanded and receded. Petting his nose gently, I leaned back against the tree trunk.

I'm very afraid for everyone and everything. My brother's in danger, the kingdoms need help, Peach has secret problems, and I somehow have to maintain a strong composure to keep everyone encouraged.

Out of the people we passed today, no one made any fuss about me taking over for my brother, but the way that some people would stare as Peach walked by…it made me feel inept at doing this. In fact, now that I think about it, if Peach hadn't come along to save us, I don't know if the Toads and I could have stopped Petey Piranha. I shivered and trembled. What if I mess up again? Everyone is counting on me and I—

"Luigi?" mumbled Yoshi, stirring from his nap. "Is it raining? I felt a water drop."

Hastily, I brushed my eyes, and whispered, "No, it's fine. Just a dew drop."

"Oh, ok," Yoshi yawned.

He buried himself closer into me, back to his steady rhythm of sleep. Rubbing his nose, I realized that I had to keep myself together. It was nice, however, having Yoshi around; he can cheer up almost anyone.

Hearing the grass crinkle from approaching footsteps, I looked up to see Peach arrive. The Toads all picked themselves up and moved to her. Shaking Yoshi, he woke with a start, bouncing up, before reaching down and pulling me up as well.

"All right, everyone ready?" Peach asked, back to her usual happy and gentle, but still firm, tone. Each of us nodded. "Good. We're going to the Deserts next."

She led the way, as we walked back toward Toad Town, off to take the trails to the next fortress. And I was reminded that if I felt this much pressure from our situation, Peach must have felt a similar amount of her own. It's hard to manage without Mario, no matter who we are.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

Waking up from earlier, I shook my head a bit to stay awake. A soft yawn slipped from my lips, barely making a sound, unlike those that echo from outside my door. Slowly shutting my mouth, I listened.

"…They're going to be going through the Bowser Games next week? Harsh," sounded one soldier. Guards must be resuming their posts.

The other laughed, "Yeah, that's putting it lightly. If anyone does anything to help them, they get an automatic death sentence along with the whole group."

"Yikes. That's hardcore."

"Tell me about it."

The first soldier sighed. "What if we were to just…go in there now and…?" In? Here? Oh no. I jumped to my feet and raised my fists, ready for a fight to break out as soon as they walked in.

"Nah, don't do that," the second one answered. "They declared that whoever tries that stunt again gets executed."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, keeping him alive is important." Exhaling a breath I apparently held in, I relaxed the rest of my body, dropping my arms. Bowser wouldn't let them dare. Though, death for an attempt on my life feels extreme. Then again, I'd rather no one try what the other group did.

"Hey!" snapped a third voice. Larry. "You two aren't assigned here anymore! Didn't you get the memo?"

"What?" asked the first soldier.

"N-No, sir," blurted the second.

"My brother is developing a new device to keep Mario contained," Larry explained, with a slight hiss in his voice. "Iggy needs this space cleared for the next two days. That means no one stands guard here anymore, got it?"

"B-But sir, what if he escapes?" questioned the first guard.

"Yeah," agreed the second. "And the royal family isn't here right now, so—"

"Idiots!" I heard a few smacks and thuds. "Keep your voices down! He doesn't know that. And he won't get very far if he even tries to escape anyway. Now go!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

"R-Right away!"

A pair of footsteps shuffling away told me the soldiers were gone. I waited for Larry to leave as well, but he didn't right away. Quietly, I moved back toward my bed. A hard banging sounded for a minute at the door, but then stopped.

"Geez, he's a heavy sleeper," muttered Larry, and I heard him leave.

Waiting a bit longer, half in the bed, I pulled myself out again, sneaking quietly to the door. Turning the knob, I realized it was unlocked. Opening the door, slowly, I peered outside, cautiously. No one was around.

Unsure whether I was bound by a desire for escape or exploration, I stepped outside of the room. Now it was time for my own little adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mario, what are you doing? Mario, no.
> 
> Besides that little escape artist maneuver, things were going so well at the castle. The thirteen prisoners were named, sentenced to doom, and...huh, not so well. Unless you're with the Koopalings, I guess, in which case everything is going swimmingly. The third person perspective was also great to write in, to change it up a bit again.
> 
> Honestly, the Bowser Games are just the Hunger Games before they existed. Think Mario Party for it. Ok, you've got a large oppressive force that targets each of the smaller weaker forces, no matter how well off or poor they are, right? Yes. Not everyone will be a winner in this game, to the point where people suffer more for losing than the people who come out for winning gain? Yep. Although the smaller forces are competing against one another, they have a common enemy in the larger, evil force, correct? You bet. And boom, I just compared the Hunger Games to those awful Bowser mini-games from Mario Party.
> 
> What's that? Yoshi? Oh right, him. How could I go 10 chapters without including him?! He's too cute to leave out, isn't he? The little pet...steed...dino friend. Guy. Uh...yeah. So, in the games, Yoshi doesn't normally talk with normal speech, with it instead being in parenthesis (like these) or otherwise making cute babble noises, slightly above the level of Pokemon speak. Could I have done that for the whole story? Sure, especially since every other character talking normally around Yoshi is canon. However, that totally bothers me, and it bothered Peach too. So, a little magic, and Yoshi can talk! He probably won't be as adorable anymore, but I'll do my best to keep that end of it up.
> 
> Other fun stuff: Peach has parent issues (gone? as in what...?). Luigi has a complex, apparently. Toadsworth is scary; Peach is scarier. Yoshi hungry, Yoshi want eat! (Terrible Rugrats reference, sorry.)
> 
> Anyway, I realized that I talk too much after chapters, so I'm trying to limit that. If you've got feedback, I'd really love to hear it! That helps me know I'm not just talking aimlessly, in which case I will develop a complex like Luigi. Just kidding, I probably already have that. As always, thanks for reading!


	11. A Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unable to sate his curiosity, Mario decides to take a tour of Bowser's Castle on his own. While he discovers new information, someone else uncovers the plumber's current secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Mario goes off to get lost somewhere in Bowser's Castle and we watch. (That's actually an even better summary than the actual one.)

Bowser,

You want me? Come find me.

Yours,

Mario

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

Recalling the note that I left for Bowser, tucked away, yet possible for anyone to find, I bit my lip and mentally swore at myself, cursing my name and everything I stood for. Even if he's the one who finds it, he wouldn't…he'd get it.

Would he?

Shivering the doubts away, I continued through the hall, as I crept gingerly with every step.

Navigating down the shadowy staircase just outside the door, I kept my hand against the wall as I carried on slowly. Even if there were any light coming from the windows, it was too late for any more to appear.

About a quarter of the way down, my hand pressed further into the wall and I heard a click. Frozen on the spot, I turned to look at the wall, and pushed with my hand. The wall creaked, and part of it slid open. I stepped in, blindly feeling the wall to help navigate the pitch-black room.

It was narrow, from one wall to the next, which didn't make sense, since Bowser would need more space. He would barely be able to fit through the door, but after that, there wouldn't be any—

"Oomph!"

A quick breeze and the slamming sensation of hitting the floor, I rolled onto my back and looked around quickly. Within just a minute, I had already circled the room.

But that couldn't be right. What purpose would the room have if it were just a round space between the stairs, too constricted for Bowser to fit it?

I put my hands in front of me, ready to push back up, but felt an edge against where I had tripped. It was a stair. As I felt about a bit more, I found that there were a few more. Climbing it, I reached out to feel the walls. One was stony, but the other felt different, closer to…

"A Warp Pipe?" I whispered as I felt the rim of the cold and smooth surface. Pulling myself up, I balanced myself at the top and gazed down. I wasn't looking to go far on this little trip, but I would get myself worked up over trying to come back here later.

Jumping in, I saw nothing but the dark tunnel as I went from the secret room in the stairwell to the other side. Or, what I believed to be the other side. Pulling myself from the pipe, I scanned the room, which appeared the same as the one that I had just departed from.

Dangling my legs as I scooted around the pipe's frame, I found the stairs and stepped down. Reaching ahead, I pushed the wall open, and stepped out into another hall.

It was dark and empty, with dim torches lit to offer a small help. One side offered a door, but the other was a corridor that led to more light. Sneaking forward, I paused momentarily every so often to wait for guards, but I heard no one. As I inched toward the light, I felt a little sweat drip my forehead and wiped some away from my head. Confused, I poked my head forward to find the next part of the room held a grated bridge over lava, with the last end of it leading to a black door.

A sigh escaped from my mouth. While I have a deep fascination with fire and lava, Bowser is far more obsessed with it, using it to decorate his castles time and again. Still, I couldn't argue with it, as I did find it quite alluring and stared at the fires below. Something just captivated me whenever I took the moment to watch the red, bubbling magma dance just below, as it swirled in a calm, calculated manner.

Shaking my head, I returned my attention to the bridge and took a breath in, and then exhaled. Without any Lava Bubbles to jump up at me, this should be easy to get over. However, I studied the bridge a little longer, and searched for a mechanism that would drop it open or flip it around, sending the unfortunate, unprepared soul that crossed it down for a dip.

Noticing nothing, I decided that there would only be one way to determine it. Sucking in another breath of air, I dashed across the bridge. Skidding to a halt as soon as I saw the fires vanished from beneath my feet, I turned back, exhaled, and saw that the bridge hadn't reacted.

"Normal then," I observed. Naturally, it would be. After all, if this were meant to be a secret passageway, I highly doubt that Bowser or his soldiers would want to kill themselves crossing each time. Of course, they do have spells that aid them with lava resistance, so perhaps it wouldn't be a risk. With a shrug, I turned back and opened the door that waited at the end of the room.

Inside, the chamber was lit with green torch fire, giving it a different kind of flare as it reflected the glow. Wooden bookshelves lined the walls, filled with not only books, but also various other objects, including potions and small statues. A desk with a crystal ball and empty vials sat on the far end, with a portrait of Bowser hanging up against the wall.

"What is all of this…?" I pondered aloud and strolled around. Lightly, I touched the nearest bookshelf, which was built even above Bowser's height. There were several scrolls and papers that stuck out in between the books and their bookends. Turning away, I scanned the room for a ladder. One rested against a shelf near the desk.

As I moved closer, I paused and noticed a cabinet with one door open. A silver scepter hung inside of it, missing whatever company it normally had. Tempted to take it, I decided against it, and continued to the ladder.

Walking behind the desk, my eyes strayed to look at the crystal ball, which waited atop a violet cloth covering its stand. My hand was on the ladder, but I found myself unexpectedly drawn toward the table, toward the ball. Near the chair was a white and gold book titled: Divine Arts and Studies of Divination.

With a glance to check the door, I opened the book and thumbed through the pages. A few words stood out here and there, and I flipped quickly between the chapters and the table of contents, certain that nothing would remain in my mind…until I hit a chapter that piqued my curiosity: "Divination and Dreams."

Recalling my own dreams as of late, I wondered if they had any insight into them. Turning the pages to the chapter, I pulled the chair out and sat down.

"Precognition, being one of the more sensitive parts of extrasensory perception," I quietly read, "has a strong basis in dreams. There are many that have claimed to have the ability to prophetic dreams, though these are usually unfounded. However, there are possibilities for one to experience these instances and ultimately a form of déjà vu, particularly when they are in familiar locations or around familiar persons."

Skimming through the words, I searched for something that could relate to my current dreams. "Shamans and Magikoopa have been said to have carried these abilities, along with other types of fortune telling. The former are said to have latent abilities that they learn to build over time, whereas the latter study them through various scrolls and supplementary means. As such, if a dream were to have an unusual occurrence that could predict the future, it would be more likely for a Shaman to experience it. Outside of these species, few others are identified with these abilities, thus rendering the experiences void."

With a heavy sigh, I felt a mix of relief and worry. This meant that there was no real chance that my dreams were predicting the future. However, I still failed to understand what they meant, and though sporadic, they were progressively turning worse.

Turning a few pages, I stopped at certain words and began reading again. "There are claims, however, that precognition is possible for Shamans and Magikoopas to inflict upon others. Some do this as a method of torture, laying curses of false dreams within a victim to terrorize them into doing a psychic's bidding. However, there are more innocent instances, in which merely spending enough time with a Shaman could leave an aftermath of divination. Though normally brief, some instances have long term effects."

Pausing, I tried to remember the last time I had even seen a Shaman, which was ages ago. But, if a Magikoopa had cursed me, wouldn't Bowser know about it?

A wave of fear and doubt passed through my mind when I abruptly entertained the thought that my entire time with Bowser was his design to keep me here while he took over the Mushroom Kingdom. He could have ordered something like this over me. My fingers drummed along the desk as I thought. While Bowser can enjoy tormenting prisoners, I haven't known him to twist their minds, their realities, inside and out.

What if everything was an illusion?

Scratching my head, I shivered at the idea, but shook it off. If Bowser did want to torment me like that, he wouldn't be so involved in it. The emotions and sensations I've experienced around him, with him, have been so real, alive, that it would seem like an extensive bother to have kept everything up as a grand charade.

Then again…wasn't that the point of us being enemies, of his kidnappings?

Clutching my head, I groaned a bit. It was a realistic possibility. Yet, wouldn't Bowser need to rely on knowing about my feelings for him? Tearing my eyes away from the book, I wanted to look at anything else. Staring straight ahead for a moment, a soft glow returned my attention to the table.

The crystal ball was lit, with a bluish white glow.

"How is that…?" was all I could manage. Entranced by the swirling lights, I waited for something to happen.

For a while, there was only silence. Leaning closer to the ball, I listened for any slight noise, but heard nothing. My hand touched the book and I glanced away from the ball, only to hear a soft whisper. Turning my head up, I watched the room around me. No one. Casting my attention back to the crystal ball, I listened again. This time, still faint, I heard an unfamiliar voice whisper, "Sar…ill…" Confused, I waited, but heard nothing more. The ball's light faded and I blinked.

This was certainly a strange event.

Pushing back against the seat, I read over the book again, looking for something about crystal balls or fortune telling. However, I heard a cough from outside the chamber and froze.

The door opened and a Magikoopa walked in. He wore blue robes with white trimmings around the base of the cap, as well as the sleeves and bottom of the robe. In one hand, he held a golden staff. In the other was a green book. He carried a regal air about his posture, and it was fairly easy to guess that he was none other than Kamek, leader of the Magikoopa and one of Bowser's closest aides.

"Lord Bows…oh. It's only you," he murmured as he pried his face away from a book he had entered reading. I couldn't tell if he was annoyed or disappointed that it was me in the room, but it surely wasn't the reaction I had anticipated.

"Only me? That's it?" The words tumbled from my mouth as quickly as they entered my head.

"Beg pardon," he shifted his spectacles. "Would you prefer me to treat you like a prisoner?"

"Treat me…isn't that what I am to you?"

"Anyone else might imagine such," he mused, "but considering that you're waltzing about in fine Koopa clothing late at night, I'd imagine otherwise." My mouth dropped open and he let out a quick laugh. "If you'd imagine that I would be completely naïve to my king's actions, you're dreadfully mistaken."

"B…But you weren't there!" I protested. "…Were you?"

In a lowered, hushed voice, he clarified, "I can be in many places and you would never know."

Curiosity getting the better of me, I had to ask, "…Are you in my head?"

"I am now," he chuckled as he walked over to the desk. Getting a closer look, I noticed a small Bowser pin on his robe.

"That's creepy and disturbing," I informed him, wondering if he knew that.

"There are far worse things in the world," Kamek shook his head. "What are you doing over here, anyway?"

"Um…reading," I admitted, though I wasn't sure if I wanted Kamek to know exactly what I had been researching.

"Ah, yes, I don't imagine they gave you any books for your cell," Kamek cackled.

"I'm glad you're enjoying the idea of it," I muttered.

"You're one to talk," he sneered. "Bowser's showing you quite the time here at the castle, and doing his best to keep you happy, while still trying to prove to everyone else that you're his little prisoner."

My face grew warm with embarrassment, but remembering what I had been thinking about, I questioned him again, "Aren't I his prisoner?"

"What, do you think he's putting on a stage scale show for you?" Kamek mocked me, but stopped and thought for a moment. "Hmm. In a way, I suppose he is giving you a grand performance."

"By that, you mean…?" I inquired, with my voice wavering between worry and frustration.

He bit his lip and gave me a sideways look. "Didn't I just make it clear that you two are doing a horrid job of keeping your little secret from me?" Looking at the table, he eyed the book in front me. "Divination?"

"Yes," I answered, a bit offensively. "I learned Magikoopa actually curse people with it."

"Oh, and yet, the Shamans are clearly more innocent, yes?" he countered. He shook his head. "Wait, what have you been reading from there exactly?"

"This and that," I tried to evade him from prying further.

"Curses of fortune are first discussed in the dream chapter," Kamek recalled and thwarted my efforts. "Having nightmares?"

"Possibly," I snapped. "Know anything?"

Scratching his chin, he thought for a minute. "Why would I? You think I cursed you?"

"It would make sense."

Kamek shook his head. "Unless King Bowser ordered me to cast it, I wouldn't bother to curse you," he explained. "And I would most certainly know if he had another Magikoopa perform the same upon you."

"If there's no curse, why are they happening?" I asked, with a layer of disbelief tangled in my aggravation.

"You do realize that nightmares are still natural incidents, yes?"

"Well…yes," I relented. "But these feel…different, even from normal nightmares."

Even through his spectacles, I could tell he was staring long and hard at me after I uttered those words. "Perhaps…you have a lot on your mind, lately," he offered. "You were recently kidnapped, and now you're orchestrating an affair with your captor and nemesis, all while your life and the fate of the kingdom hang in the balance."

"I…suppose…" I trailed off before I could go further. He did know a lot.

A knock came from the door and we turned our attention to a red robed Magikoopa waiting by the open door. "Um, M-Master Kamek, sir," he stuttered, "Y-You're, uh, needed wuh-with…i-is th-that Mario?"

"Yes…" Kamek murmured, and closed the divination book. "I'm not quite sure how he got here. And yet, I'm not quite sure how you got here either."

"T-They told m-me upstairs th-that you'd b-be here," the Magikoopa continued.

"Hmm." Kamek placed his book on the table and patted his scepter against his free palm. "Who, exactly?"

"I, uh…I don't kn-know the name…s-sir?"

Shifting my focus back and forth, I watched Kamek studied the quivering Magikoopa. "Tell me, youngster, are you a new recruit?" he asked carefully.

"Y-Yes," the Magikoopa answered nervously. "P-Please sir, I d-didn't mean to intrude on any-anything. I even t-told them I wasn't su-supposed to be d-down here."

"Clearly," he huffed. "Well then, I'll find my way. You will…escort Mario back to his, ah, room."

"Y-Yes…sir!"

Magikoopa turned to walk away, but a glint caught my eye. "Wait, that Bowser Brooch…"

Kamek sighed, at the end of his patience. "What about it?"

"I've seen that before, on one of the soldiers. What's it for?"

He thought quietly to himself. "Hopefully, you won't need to find out." And if I had any more questions on the matter, he would not answer them.

Even if I wanted to ask Kamek anything else, an approaching sound of stomping would have stopped me. In the doorway behind the Magikoopa appeared Bowser himself.

"What's going on?!" he thundered. The red robed Magikoopa sped from the door and crashed into a bookshelf, causing a stack of books to spill on top of him and a heavy sigh from Kamek. Glaring from the Magikoopa to Kamek and I, Bowser growled, "Mario, what are you even doing here?!" He then pointed to the elder Magikoopa, and commanded, "Kamek! Explain!"

"I was bringing a book back here," Kamek calmly answered. "Your…guest…must have stumbled his way across the way here." He exchanged a glance with me before turning to the Magikoopa that rose from the pile of books. "That youngster was sent for me, and I instructed him to bring Mario back to his room. Which," he cleared his throat, "he was just getting to, correct?"

"Y-Yes, sir," the Magikoopa bounced up, "absolutely, sir!"

"Forget that," Bowser ordered. "I'm here now, I might as well bring Mario back up myself! You! Go take Kamek back upstairs yourself!"

The red robed Magikoopa shivered, "I…I…"

"That's a direct order from your king, youngster," Kamek hissed as he walked over. "That means you get to it. Now go on ahead and wait for me across the bridge."

"R-Right away, sir!" he ran to the door and bowed to Bowser. "A-Apologies, milord!" He tripped over his robe and hit the floor, but quickly recovered, jumped up, and ran off. I walked over to the door as Kamek was on his way out, but Bowser blocked his path.

"Where the hell did you get that one?" he angrily asked.

"I don't hire all of them," Kamek answered, still level headed. "Just like you don't hire every single soldier."

"No, but I can replace them if need be," Bowser snarled. "No matter how high ranked they are."

"Boy, you would never replace me," Kamek proclaimed, and then slinked away. Bowser grumbled quietly to himself before he turned his attention to me, as I felt a smile appear.

"What?"

"'Boy?' You let him call you that?"

"Yeah, he practically raised me," Bowser fumbled with his words. "So…bah! What do you care, anyway?!"

"I think it's cute," I teased, and laughed, as his cheeks flushed red.

"What do you know about cute, anyway?!" he snapped.

Grinning, I started, "Well, I do think that you are, so—"

"Don't start," Bowser sourly interrupted.

"You did ask," I teased.

"I did. Which brings me to another question," he began, and held up a small piece of paper.

"Oh, that." Uh-oh.

"'You want me? Come find me.'" Grinding my teeth as he replayed my words, my daggers, I could have thought of a thousand things to say; yet everything failed me. "'Yours, Mario.'"

"Ah…uh," was what came out of my mouth. "S…Sorry?"

"You damned well better be," huffed Bowser. "Want you? Find you? Yours? Could you have possibly been anymore obvious?"

…What?

"Don't give me that blank stare," growled Bowser. "Mario, you are biggest—"

"Moron, yeah, got that much," I replied quickly. "But you're not…mad?"

"Why would I be?" he inquired. Suddenly he eyebrows shot up. "Was that a break-up note?"

"What? No!" I exclaimed. "That, you were—"

"You left a note for me and made it so anyone could read it," Bowser explained to me as much as he did to himself. "You read it without context, it spins anyway the reader interprets it. That was it, right?"

Flabbergasted, I nodded. "Ok, you're the brawn and the brains in the relationship."

He laughed. "I'm tough and smart, but considering you beat me on a regular basis, I think you've got me beat on one of those."

"Or I'm just lucky," I chuckled while scratching the back of my head.

"Nah," he shook his head. "That would be too often, and luck can't be that good for you. Or, that bad for me," he chuckled at the end.

"Well, you do lose a lot," I taunted. He nudged me back and I laughed.

"If I was that unlucky, I don't think we would have happened," he grunted, and pulled me back toward him. Bowser rubbed my shoulder and I rested against him, patting his belly. "How'd you end up down here, anyway?"

"Uh…went exploring?" I sheepishly admitted and he glared at me. "Where is here, anyway?"

"Kamek's Study," Bowser answered. "It's meant to be for myself and Junior, but he uses the room more often than I do, and I can't remember when I took my kid down here last."

"Ah, ok, that explains…everything," I motioned my arms around and he laughed. "So, did you tell him about…us? Because he knew about the date…and probably anything else."

"Did he?" Bowser pondered. "Huh. He is a smart old coot."

"Guess so."

"Well, if you're done…exploring," Bowser mocked, "why don't we get back upstairs?"

"Um, sure," I agreed. "But…how far down are we, anyway?"

"Pretty far, actually," Bowser noted. "The pipe makes it feel a lot shorter though."

Nodding, we walked out of the chamber and he closed the door. Taking my hand, he guided me back across the bridge, taking his time to the pipe room. He dragged me around a bit, and we took a moment to gaze at the lava. His tail brushed past my legs and he winked at me before we walked off again. I rubbed his hand as he gently pulled me along, looking back every so often and grinning. Happily, I returned his smile, though felt a pang hit my stomach. How did I start thinking this was just a trick?

We made it to the room, but as he pushed it open, I stalled, staring at the door that I hadn't taken.

"I'm really glad you didn't take that one," he sighed.

"Why?" I questioned.

"You might have gotten hurt," he responded and nudged me to the Warp Pipe. I wanted to know more, but I realized that I had my fill for today.

Warping back to the stairs, Bowser scooped me up and carried me back to the top.

"This feels a bit awkward," I muttered as he grabbed the door.

"Aw, why?" he whined. "Carrying you is fun!"

"For you, maybe," I moaned.

Bowser laughed, "Well then, that's your punishment for leaving! Next time you do it, I'm carrying you around the whole castle."

"You wouldn't dare," I challenged and folded my arms.

"Watch me," he grinned and opened the door. He stepped forward but came to a halt not too far in. Looking over, I found out why.

"Papa?" Junior stood at the other end of the hall, his hand on the door to his room, but his attention directly on us. "What…what are you doing…with Mario?"

Looking back to Bowser, I watched as his eyes widened and he glanced down to me.

* * *

 

**[Meanwhile]**

The red robed Magikoopa led Kamek to the group of other Magikoopa that were clamoring over a spilled cauldron in the courtyard.

"Thank you, that will be all," Kamek waved off the red Magikoopa. "You'd better get back to practicing…well, everything you can."

"Y-Yes sir!" the Magikoopa bowed and ran off. Kamek shook his head and walked toward the group.

Sprinting around a corner, the red robed Magikoopa ducked into a closet and shut it behind himself.

"Finally," he exhaled, and pulled out a light blue umbrella. Waving it about, a slight sparkle of dust was cast from it and whirled around the Magikoopa. When it cleared, a Red Toad poked around the room and grabbed a small electronic device.

"Hello? It's me," the Toad whispered. "I've got confirmation that Mario is alive. Repeat, he is alive. The Sneaky Parasol helped me find him. Respond during a later hour and I'll get back to you when I can."

Hiding the device again, the Toad sat down. He placed his hand on the Sneaky Parasol, and waited until he heard someone walk by. Creaking the door just enough to point the tip of the umbrella out, he shot a spell from it and was transformed into a green robed Magikoopa, and shut the door quietly.

"Green?!" he hissed. "Oh well, that's why I grabbed this." Pulling out a trunk, he opened it and pulled out a red robe. Exchanging it for the green one, he closed it and slid it away.

Stashing the parasol away, the…Magikoopa stepped outside and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a minute, the chapter almost ended with nothing terrible happening! Almost.
> 
> Part of me was tempted to go the Beauty and the Beast route and have Bowser present Mario with a library all his own, because he knows how much of a book geek Mario is and wants him to be a happy prisoner. Um...Belle is still one of the best Disney Princesses, ok?
> 
> Anyway, Kamek was just inevitable, especially after I included Yoshi in the last chapter. (They're sort of enemies, right?) Besides, who better to know about the relationship before it's exposed than the guy who raised Bowser since infancy? Apparently, white trimmings on his cap and sleeves are meant to distinguish him from other Magikoopa, but I want to take that one step further down the road. We'll coat him in stars, give him wings and a broom, toss on some flames too, maybe add spikes and shoulder guards, and then he'll be perfect! ...I'm joking.
> 
> Oh, Red Toad had to show up too, so he's got his own little mission going on. I was going to have him expose himself to Mario, but after adding Kamek, I decided to hold off on that. Besides, that left more time for Bowser and Mario fluff, which was totally needed. Don't give me that look, you like it. After all, why else would you be following this story? Plot? Please.
> 
> What's that? Bowser getting caught by Junior? Oops, look at the time, that's going to have to wait. Why? Because we need to draw out just how awkward that must be. By next chapter, that long of a pause is going to be SUPER awkward. Ya get it? Super, like Super Mario? ...I can't tell jokes, I'm sorry. However, I can say thank you for reading, because it's just so nice of you and I appreciate it so. Also, I think I might have hit almost 50,000 words, so hooray, long story! Hope it's still enjoyable.


	12. An Enlightenment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After seeing a little too much, Bowser tries to comfort his son. However, news of Peach's victory arrives, in the form of a mystically singed Petey Piranha. They seek out Kamek for more advice on this new magical presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone want some more Bowser/Junior family bonding? Well, you're getting it.

**[Bowser]**

It's taking an obnoxiously abundant amount of resistance for me to not drop every expletive in my vocabulary at this very moment.

Junior is down the hall staring as Mario rests in my arms, as if I were his lover taking him home from our honeymoon. Now that I think about it, we're just two very large steps short of that. Wait, no, stop!

"Papa," he sounds again. "What's going on?"

Think, Bowser, think!

"Junior, I-I was just," I stammered, "um, bringing Mario back to his room!"

"Did he…escape?" Junior questioned, with a tone of disbelief in his voice.

"What? I mean, yes! Yes!"

"Do you need help?"

"Ah, no, I can handle it, son."

"Then," Junior investigated, "why is he cradled in your arms like that?"

"Uh, well," I pondered my defense. Wait, defense? This is my kid, not an enemy!

Mario wriggled in my arms. "He…won't…let me go!" he cried. Genius!

"That's a pretty awkward way to carry him, though, Papa," Junior pointed out, and by the sound of it, clearly not buying Mario's performance.

"You, um, you're right, son!" I relented. "He's, uh, a pretty tough one though, this Mario! But I got him under control. I'll do w-whatever it takes to keep him here, with me. Us! Here! The castle! Um, you get what I mean."

"I don't think I do."

Damn it. "Junior, Mario's just a real pain in the ah…bum." Oh, like the kid never heard me swear before? "I…I'll just toss him back in his room now."

"Shouldn't you put him in the dungeon?" Junior inquired. "It would be safer since Iggy hasn't finished caging up the room."

Speaking through grinded teeth, "Son, you let me worry about that."

"But Papa—"

"Junior," I growled, "let me deal with this." Mario tried to tap my arm, but I needed to ignore him for a bit.

"I just—"

"Enough, Junior!" I roared.

Mario elbowed me and I nearly dropped him right there. With a blink, I looked at Junior again. His eyes welled up with tears and he kicked his door open.

I tried to recover, "Junior, wait, I didn't—" but with the slam of his door, he wasn't listening anymore.

My arms dropped as Mario slid out of them. If he had kicked me in the gut on the way down, I couldn't tell; the blow in my stomach was dealt the minute I looked at the kid's tears. It's not the first time that I've yelled at Junior, but it's not something that I make a habit of.

"Hey, Bowser," Mario called. "Come on, get up from the floor."

Floor? With a blink, I gazed down, and found that I had sunk right down to the ground. Slowly, I moved my arms around to push myself back up, but my body wasn't cooperating.

Trembling, I shook my head. "Mario, I can't."

"Sure you can," he comforted me. "You're tougher than that. Just push yourself up."

"No, not that," I softly groaned and looked up at him. "I can't believe myself."

He folded his arms and nodded. "You didn't mean it. He just got you worked up."

"That's my son, though," my voice broke. "I snapped at him like I…like I would—"

"Go berserk over his questions," Mario interrupted. "Which, you did. And, he pressed you, like an inquisitive child would. It's natural; we all have limits. Just go talk to him."

Just walk right in and start talking? "Mario, I can't even think of anything to say aside from apologizing. He idolizes me and I practically broke him."

"So go put him back together," he winked. "And yourself, while you're at it."

"But he'll keep asking," I protested. "Junior will want to know how you got out, why I'm acting so strangely, everything."

Mario took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "You have to tell him the truth, Bowser."

Scratching my hair, I shrugged, "I did!"

He shook his head. "The whole truth," Mario clarified.

The whole…he means about us? "Are you bonkers?!" I growled.

"No, it's-a me, Mario," he deadpanned. We paused as a grin broke out on his face and my eyes lowered.

"You're an idiot," I sighed.

"Come on, that's hilarious," he chuckled, and held out his arm. I grasped it and he pulled me up.

For a moment, I pause to look him over. To pick me up, anyone else would think that he'd need to have the biggest chest and muscle packed arms. While he's not completely short in either department, he certainly doesn't come close to carrying the look of a body builder. Yet, when we've fought in the past, he could latch onto my tail, spin me around, and throw me from a cliff. All of that strength, and he managed to keep an average looking frame, even with a bit of a belly.

My hand slipped out of his and, automatically, perhaps unconsciously, rubbed his belly. Even through his clothes, it feels soft and smooth. Gently, I let my claws scratch him a bit, just enough to pick away at itches. Too curious, I moved up to feel his chest, just to check—yes, there are muscles there. Still, I could hardly tell—

"Bowser!" Mario hissed and I shook my head. His face was beat red, with his hand over mine. My face grew warm and I sheepishly grinned. "Your son," he reminded me, and pushed my hand away.

"R…Right," I managed. "Just, uh, stay—"

"Bedroom, got it," he mumbled and walked down the hall. I had to think for a minute before I realized he meant his own room. Ooh, I need to get a grip.

Slowly, I trudged over to Junior's door. Lightly, I knocked on the door and waited. Could I really tell him about Mario and I? Would he understand what was going on? Pushing my teeth together, I thumped at the door again, a little louder.

"Go away!" his muffled voice cried out. "I hate you!"

Sure, kid; rip out my heart a little more, please. "That's all right," I rumbled, my voice loud enough for him to hear, but not enough to…hurt him. "I'd hate me too." My hand reached for the knob and turned it, while I expected resistance. It turned easily, and I walked in.

Unlike the rest of the castle, which alternated between color schemes of black, gray, red, and dark green, Junior's room was colored with gold floor tiles and bright green walls. Even his red and orange shelves and desks were brighter than the colors I used for the rest of our home.

Stepping cautiously, I tried to move around the building blocks and other toys that littered his floor. Junior himself had his face buried in his pillow, with his bright green blankets tugged over the rest of his body. Once I made my way to the bed, I waited a minute to see if he would do anything, but he didn't.

Clearing my throat, I asked, "Can I sit with you?" The only response I was given was his sheets thrown over his head. A heavy sigh escaped me and I sat at the end of the bed. For a moment, I tried to think again, piece together what I was going to tell him.

Would he understand?

Could he accept what I told him?

Is it possible that he wouldn't even care?

What if he was repulsed by the idea?

How can I face him if hated me now?

Can he really breath under there?

If I told him, would he only hate me more?

Would anyone tease him over it?

Should anyone else know?

Violently, I shivered my head, and I wanted the questions to stop. But more just had to slip into my mind:

What if I told him everything?

Would he still love me, or ever love me again?

Enough. I'm being selfish. My teeth were clenched and I kept quiet as I controlled my thoughts. Slowly, I reached my hand over and gently rubbed Junior through his covers. Amazingly, he didn't flinch or lash out at me for doing so. And for a little while, that was good enough.

But I couldn't keep quiet forever. We couldn't just hide in here.

"I'm sorry, son," I whispered. "I've been worked up lately over conquering the Mushroom Kingdom that everything sets me off."

Another pause, met with more silence. Still, I patted him a bit, and went back to massaging his back. In spite of everything, I smiled.

"You know," I continued, "I was a lot like you when I was younger. I wanted to ask my parents a lot of questions and always wanted to know what they were doing. One day, though, my father was so fed up with me, that he roared and yelled at me over it."

The bitter memory stirred in my mind, and I could remember myself, probably younger than Junior, quaking at my father's legs as he thundered at me. I couldn't even look him in the eye by that point.

"Eventually," I rambled, "he had Kamek take me away, and ordered him to be responsible for raising me. And back then, Kamek wasn't even at a high rank, so he was basically shoving me on whoever he could."

I laughed a little, but that still pained me. My own father had rejected me so much that he couldn't even stand raising me anymore.

And that hurt more than I realized.

"When you were born, I promised myself that I wouldn't do that to you," I admitted. "More than anything, I didn't want to be like my father and throw you away. I vowed not to be as passive as my mother, who never even stood up for me when I was gone. And, more than anything, I really wanted to love you more than they could have imagined loving me."

My smile dropped and my frown weighed my face down. "Yet here I am," my voice broke again, "acting just as nasty as my father did. And the only thing that could accomplish is pushing you away." A tear slid down my cheek and I hastily rubbed it away. Trying to clear my throat, I coughed a bit.

The sound of covers shifted had me turn my head. Junior moved over and held my hand. "You're not bad, Papa. Not like that." A smile returned onto my face and I threw my arms tight around my son. "Geez, Papa, stop!" he protested. "It's not that big of a deal."

"No, but this is!" I teased as I gave him a noogie. He laughed and squirmed under my grip, helpless to escape it. After a couple of minutes, I let up and he pounced me. We wrestled a little longer, until Junior ran out of breath, and laughed for a while. But once we sat back up, he seemed unsatisfied again.

"What's wrong, son?"

"Nothing, just…Papa, what happened with Mario?" he brought up again. "I'm worried about you. I know you're tough, but he is too. Is he giving you too much trouble?"

Guess the only thing left to do is to tell him the truth.

"Son, I caught Mario sneaking around. I was just bringing him back to his room."

It's just…not the whole truth.

"That's really it, Papa?" he still seemed unconvinced.

"Well, it's complicated, but," I started, but couldn't quite finish it. If I kept lying to him over this, I really am no better than my parents. "Junior, listen. The truth is—"

A rapping sounded at the door. My mouth was hung open and the words were caught in my throat, but they were there. However, Junior had already redirected his attention to the door. It would have to wait.

"Come in," I called.

A red robed Magikoopa shuffled in, followed by a floating mint green Blooper.

"Ouch!" cried the Magikoopa, who had stepped on a building block. Guess he stepped too far in.

"You'll have to buy me a new one," grumbled Junior.

"Uh, um," the Magikoopa stuttered. "Miss Olive, if you could—"

"Beg pardon, your most gracious majesty," the Blooper excused their intrusion. Wait, most gracious what? Does she not know whom she's serving?

"Cut the formalities," I ushered. "What do you two need?"

"Ah yes, very good," she nodded. "Petey Piranha has returned and is requesting you for an audience. He was defeated and lost control of the Grasslands. At the same time, Master Kamek and his Magikoopa are looking to make an offensive force against the Mushroom Kingdom and are requesting you for specific tactics. Reports are coming in that the Mushroom Kingdom's squad is approaching the Deserts."

"Ugh." I ran my hands across my face, and slowly slid them up and down. "Right, I, uh, I'll—"

"Head to Petey Piranha," Junior informed the others. "I'll help Kamek until my Papa can come over. All right, Papa?" He turned to me and smiled. Without any ideas otherwise, I grinned back and nodded.

"Excellent," Olive commended us. "Thank you both, your regal highnesses. I'll take you to Petey, milord Bowser. Red, please take the young prince to Master Kamek."

The prim and proper Blooper glided out of Junior's room. Red watched her, and after a double take, turned back to us.

"Oh, um, r-right this way, m-my prince," he stammered and hurried out. Junior waited a moment and turned to me.

"Papa, how did that Blooper just…float in and out of here?" he asked. "Without water?"

"Unlike a number of sea creatures, son, Bloopers can move freely in or out of water," I explained. "However, it is their preferred habitat, which is why I tend to keep them there."

"Oh ok," he accepted, and ran out the door before I could say another word.

Carefully, I stumbled about until I was out of the room myself. Olive was alone and hummed until I appeared. She floated over to one of the…doors…

"My cordial king," she pointed at his door, "Do you have any important business to attend to with your prime prisoner?"

She knew exactly where he was. How? "That's none of your concern," I snarled.

Somehow, Olive was unfazed. "Oh, many apologies, your highest grace," she bowed. "I meant no disrespect. Truthfully. However, I was informed to give you the chance to speak with him before—"

"By whom?" I snapped.

"Well, Red," she replied, and bid me to follow her forward. "He was told by Kamek to tell you, but he wanted me to know, just in case you went along with me first, which you have."

"Red, huh?" This Magikoopa seemed to be a bit…busy, lately. "Do you know anything else about him?"

"Nothing much, milord Bowser," she addressed. "In fact, I'm not certain that 'Red' is his actual name."

"I see," I murmured as we continued to move. Though I didn't expect her to know much about him, I was wary about this Red.

"If it pleases you, sire," she offered, "I could keep a closer eye on him and investigate him further."

"Yes, that would be a good idea," I muttered. "Don't overcrowd Kamek over it, but if you find yourself again with…Red…stay close to him and learn whatever you can."

"Absolutely, your royal majesty," she agreed. "Ah, we're here already!"

Olive was right; I hadn't paid much attention to how quickly we had navigated through the stairs or halls. She floated over to a black box and tapped it with a tentacle. It popped open to reveal my scepter inside.

"When did you…?" I started, but trailed off and thought. "Kamek sent this?"

"Yes, milord," she answered. "For Petey."

"Right. You have anything else to do, Olive?"

"Aside from escorting you, my grace, nothing is more important—"

"Well, you escorted me," I waved her off. "Get back to…uh, whatever else you need."

"Of course, as you wish, my righteous king," she bowed and floated away.

I shook my head and muttered, "Who taught her to address me like that?" With a shrug and no one to answer, I walked inside my Council Chamber. It was just a simple room with a long table in the middle, as well as a semi-circular one in the back. There was enough space in between for room to walk or present something to either side of the room. Only sporadic torches helped light the otherwise gray room.

Before Petey Piranha even began, I waved my scepter about. He normally speaks with some kind of garbled tongue a polite person would call another language, but I couldn't understand if Petey had used real words. Besides that, I'm pretty good with learning a few words in other real languages here and there.

"Petey Piranha," I bellowed as I approached him. "You're meant to be one of my strongest soldiers and one of most fearsome in any battle. Yet, here you are, with a report that the Grasslands are no longer mine! What kind of incompetence does that suggest of you?"

"Petey sorry, sir," Petey gurgled. "Pesky plumber was easy to beat, but Petey didn't realize that pretty princess would help him."

Pretty princess? "You mean Peach?" I asked.

"Yeah, pretty," he insisted. "She had a magic stick like that."

"Like mine? That's not…" I argued, but stopped. She would have a scepter; that's what was originally scattered throughout the Mushroom Kingdom, with several rulers holding their own. One of my earlier attempts at conquest involved stealing them with the Koopalings. Instead, I inquired, "What exactly could Peach do with her magic?"

Petey held out his leaves, which were gray or blackened in some spots. "She burned Petey," he explained. "These from her evil friends. This," he patted his body, which was singed in a…glittering pink burn, "hers."

All I could utter was, "What the hell…?"

"Pretty magic princess scary," Petey whimpered. "Petey could have died."

Though burns on anyone else could be pink, Petey's wouldn't be that color, nor should they be sparkling. It was a different kind of magic than I was exposed to.

"I'll need to see Kamek about this. Petey, come," I ordered, and hurried out of the Council Chamber, Petey in tow.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

Quietly, I waited in my room, wondering if Bowser would return soon. Earlier, I had heard a few voices, one of which wanted him to see me. Curiosity crept quickly into me, festering all over my mind, hungry to know more. Carefully, I opened the door and stepped outside. I gazed down the hall, toward Bowser and Junior's rooms. Junior's was left slightly opened.

"Hey!" shouted a voice, and I whirled on my heels. Iggy hurried down the hall, and carried a sack of contraptions with him. Lemmy followed him, barely visible from behind. "Mario, stop right there and get back in your cell! …Or, uh, room. Whatever!"

Though I could probably take down Iggy and Lemmy in seconds, I didn't want to cause Bowser more trouble with his son…or worse. I held up my hands and walked back to my door. "Before I go in," I asked, "where is the royal family?"

"Wow," Lemmy huffed from the back, lifting the sack up. "He didn't hesitate on what to call them or anything." Truly, I hadn't thought of that as a goof.

"He's just trying to soften us up," sneered Iggy. "You're not pulling one over on us, Mario!"

"I'm not, actually," I clarified. "Really, where did Bowser and Junior go?"

Iggy and Lemmy exchanged glances with one another, but refused to answer me, even after I stepped back into my room.

"Is this about that cage you were shouting about earlier?" I questioned, though I already knew that it was.

"You shouldn't know about that!" Iggy snapped.

"Well, he could have just asked Bowser about it, at some point," Lemmy offered.

"Why would Bowser tell him?!" Iggy argued.

"I don't know, why not?" Lemmy countered.

They continued to bicker back and forth with one another, to the point where I was so annoyed by it that I closed my door on them.

"Hey!" yelled Iggy. "Open that back up! We're not done forcing you to listen to us argue over what Bowser told or didn't tell you!"

"Wasn't there an easier way of saying that?" Lemmy teased. "And yet, I'm labeled the crazy and childish one."

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

I climbed back into my bed and threw the pillow over my head, and hoped that would muffle the rest of their arguments.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

Petey and I marched to the courtyard, where Kamek's Magikoopa were still practicing their spells. Kamek, on the other hand, was in a discussion with my son and a few select Magikoopa. They paused as soon as one had spotted me.

"Hi Papa!" Junior greeted. "Is…everything ok?"

"Not quite," I admitted to Junior. "Kamek, can you examine Petey for a minute?"

"He's rather large, an imposing and unique species of a Piranha Plant," Kamek rambled off his quick assessment. "From what I remember, he can fire sludge—"

"No, none of that!" I barked. "Take a closer look at his body!"

Though he appeared puzzled, Kamek adjusted his glasses and walked forward. Almost immediately, he noticed Petey's magic burns. "Where did you get these?" he asked, almost demanded from, Petey.

"Pretty—"

"Peach," I answered for him. "She was apparently using a scepter of her own."

"She has her own scepter?" Kamek mused. "This is news. Then again, it makes sense, considering she tends to have a gift with healing her little friends now and again."

"That though?" I pointed at Petey's body. "What's that? Because that isn't healing."

"No, it's magic residue," Kamek described. "In fact, it could be a personal variant on light magic."

"Light magic?" I echoed.

"Light, white, holy, whatever the kids call it these days," Kamek muttered.

"I don't know anything about it," I confessed. "Is it rare?"

"Extremely, more so than normal and dark magic," Kamek continued, "which are the types we use."

"Well, leave it to the so-called 'good guys' to use good magic," I spat.

"Oh, I wouldn't call it, 'good,'" Kamek debated. "Depending upon the spells and the caster, it can be just as destructive and malicious as dark magic. Light magic tends to have long-term effects on more spells. It's renowned for restorative effects, which are good, but no one takes note of the more sinister side, which includes nasty, enduring attacks that have results like the burns that Petey acquired. Other spells can slowly suck the air out of an enemy's throat, crystallize or freeze a foe, various enchanted binds, and more beyond the surface."

"Yikes," I mumbled. "Even with healing spells making it famous, how could anyone call that 'light' magic."

"Long ago, it was known as 'natural magic,' since the spells tend to work with the world around us," Kamek elaborated. "Though it doesn't necessarily use the surrounding environment, it does use elements that you could find in every day life. Dark magic, on the other end, takes those same elements and corrupts them into alternative variants. For example, a dark spell could warp a Mushroom into a Poison Mushroom. Another example would be making ice capable of burning someone. Normal magic defies both of these types and creates its own abilities."

"That's a lot to take in," I grumbled.

Kamek nodded. "It takes years to understand the mechanics behind these spells and their differences, which is why most people give the broad term of 'magic' to everything."

"So, Peach has—"

"A lot of power at her fingertips."

"But, so do any of you," I observed. "Peach is no different from the Magikoopa."

"Except she is," Kamek contended. "We need to practice and study our spells, in order to properly utilize and control them. Peach can just pick up that scepter, read a few notes on the spells she chooses, and use it."

My mouth dropped open. "With that kind of power, she could be unstoppable."

"Potentially," Kamek concurred.

I thought for a moment. "Is that power inherent?" came my question. "Or could we steal it from her?"

"Without the scepter or history on the princess, I can't be certain," concluded Kamek. "Just from knowing her from the years we've kidnapped her, I couldn't sense or trace anything."

"So, if it was innate, you would have known by now?" I asked.

"Not necessarily, no," Kamek shook his head. "Worse still, someone could have cast a charm or a curse to block me from properly reading her. We never learned enough about the bloodline of the Mushroom Kingdom, which is why it is beneficial to take over her kingdom, or at least, her castle. There are secrets that not even we have explored yet."

I nodded, but then thought of something else: "Would Mario know anything about it?"

"Only if Peach shared that knowledge with him," Kamek clarified. "And since her own secrets are so well guarded, I highly doubt it. In fact, only the people extremely close to not only Peach, but her entire family, would probably know anything about it."

"Petey…so…confused," the overgrown Piranha Plant suddenly piped up. Apparently, he had tried listening.

"Can he be healed?" I inquired.

"It'll take a while," surveyed Kamek. "I have to read over whatever books and scrolls we have that could counter these spells."

"Papa," Junior called. "You and Kamek have been talking forever. Don't we need to figure out how to stop Peach at the Deserts?"

"That's right, son," I assented. "Kamek, what are our options?"

"For normal troops, I'm short on counter measures for Peach and her spell kit," Kamek murmured. "But, I may know of something to take on the princess and her forces when they try to win back the fortress."

"Get on that, then," I commanded and began to walk away. "I've got a message to…" I stopped in my tracks and began to gaze around.

Kamek watched me, and then asked, "Who or what are you looking for?"

"Do you know the Magikoopa named, or nicknamed, 'Red,' or someone like that?" I requested from him. "He's that nervous Magikoopa that showed up in the Study."

"Him? I…don't even remember calling him 'Red.' Good to know he has a name," Kamek nodded.

"Every one of these grunts has a name," I snapped, annoyed that Kamek hadn't known.

"Forgive me, boy," Kamek shrugged off. "It's difficult enough to be in charge of knowing each and every inch there is to know about magic, let alone keeping track of your entire army."

"Not everyone," I growled. "Just the suspicious ones."

"King Bowser!" shouted a voice. I looked around to see an orange Bob-omb signaling for me. "We have a situation!"

* * *

 

**[Meanwhile]**

Red moved silently up a spiral staircase, and turned every so often to make sure he wasn't followed. Tightly, he gripped his scepter.

"Ok…just need to head in there, grab Mario, and…" he muttered to himself as he quietly slid the door open. He glanced in and saw the two Koopalings working on Mario's door. When they looked up, he gently shut the door.

"They're not supposed to be there," Red hissed to himself. "Now what?"

He looked down at the scepter in his hand. Waving it slightly, it began to softly glow. Red gripped the door with his free hand, with a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red became more creepy than I realized, huh? Oops.
> 
> Meanwhile, meet Olive! The proper and polite Blooper whose parents named her based on the wrong color/food. Double oops.
> 
> Aside from that, phew! That was a lot to learn about magic and stuff, huh? I...I'm still going over it myself, lol! Honestly, I wasn't planning on going that far with it, but after the last chapter, I had to elaborate more on this part of it. Visions, spells, who knew the Mario series was so...magical? (Glimmering things!)
> 
> Other stuff: Petey had kind of Hulk-speak because I don't imagine him as much of a talker. No, he's not meant to be unintelligent, but...well, I guess he's not the smartest in the room either. If none of my Bowser/Junior moments made anyone cry, I am disappointed in myself. But seriously, I hope those had the proper feels with them. Daddy issues help move all kinds of plots. Just ask everyone, really.
> 
> So, I guess the questions for next time would be: will Mario be caged or be free...no, I guess that's more caged or less caged, huh? Will Iggy and Lemmy learn to get along? Will Red murder everyone? (Spoilers: Nope...I d-don't think, anyway.) What's the new plan for Bowser's forces and how will they combat Peach's? Just who is that dashing orange Bob-omb at the end there? Will I stop ending chapters on cliffhangers? (But they're just ever so fun.) Truth be told, I would like to get back to Luigi, Peach, and the other Toads as well. Maybe next chapter is Bowser's Castle again, and then them.
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! And that this made sense. And that readers like this stuff.
> 
> ...Come to think of it, this chapter was lacking the Romance department. Triple oops. (Though, it's not the first either.) And hey, 12 chapters within 12 months as of posting! Kewl!


	13. A Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario receives aid from a friend, though this has him call his new relationship into question, along with some eerie nightmares. Meanwhile, Bowser has to handle urgent issues that arise among his army.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this is another lengthy chapter, and there's a bit of character jumping to follow, so sit back and enjoy!

To Luigi,

Where can I begin? I know this won't actually reach you, but I cannot take my mind off of you and the others. I'm worried about everyone, how they might be dreading the worst to have befallen me, when in actuality I've been doing just fine. I wanted to tell you that Bowser hasn't personally harmed me much after the assault on the castle and that…

Are you on your way to save me? I'd imagine that it would be you; who else besides the two of us would actually be able to rush across the kingdom to combat Bowser's troops and leap their way to the rescue? Certainly, there are some Toads that might be up to the challenge, however daunting or perilous it may be. But it's us, us two, that are counted on, relied on, to get these sorts of things done.

Truthfully, by this point, it's terribly unnecessary. You see I've been managing to do fine within Bowser's Castle, live daily even. Sure, there is the threat of death that looms around the corner each day, and I fear for my life on multiple occasions, but Bowser has made it a point to keep my alive. What no one knows is why, yet I do.

How are Peach and Toadsworth, though? Is she keeping herself safe at her castle? Toadsworth isn't driving everyone else mad with worry, and other foreboding thoughts, is he? I'm sure the other Toads can quell him, put him at ease, but still, it must be frustrating for the princess to listen to him yammer about keeping her safe.

It's actually a bit similar here, and I suppose Peach would understand that best. I do try to move about the castle, just to see what it's like when I'm not fighting my way through all of Bowser's traps, but he has me under tight surveillance, and wants to keep me locked up, for my own protection as much as for the safety of his own troops. And, obviously, so that I can't escape; but I'm not quite in as much of a hurry to do that.

Has anyone else stepped forward to help you? Besides Toads, that is. Frequently, we gain a few different allies on our quests, from time to time anyway, but I wasn't certain if anyone would be with you by this point. Perhaps Yoshi and several of his friends have joined you, maybe? Other than him, though, I'm not certain who else would work with you. Is there anyone else, or are even the Toads too frightened to join the journey this time? Then again, a handful of them can prove to be quite brave and talented, capable of extraordinary feats, so I shouldn't be too dismissive.

Actually, if you keep an open mind, you can find many wonderful truths, and unveil many secrets, that you may not have noticed before. In fact, here with Bowser, I was able to witness just that.

No, not just observe. Participate.

It's hard to even write this down, let alone consider actually telling you, but if I practice, maybe it'll work out by the time I really tell you.

Bowser needed to tell Junior, so I should be able to do the same with you.

And that is, tell you what happened between us, Bowser and I.

…

If only I could just say it, or write it rather, but it's difficult. I didn't tell you before because, honestly, it is incredibly strange, and I can't explain how it came about, but the truth…

…

I love Bowser.

…

And he loves me.

…

Tapping the page doesn't make this any easier. And if I can't write it on a piece of paper, how can I tell anyone about this?

It is a farfetched concept. How could a villainous king fall in love with the hero that constantly thwarts his plans, takes away every opportunity at conquest, and denies him that desire to rule? How can a man love a monster?

How are we possible?

And telling you, on paper, is hard enough to do, let alone actually tell you in person or anyone else. Even Peach might not understand, and we've shared a number of stories between one another. Perhaps her more than I, and usually related to the stresses of the kingdom, but I should still be comfortable to tell one of us, if not both of you.

But I'm not.

And you'll never see this, or not any time soon, but could you accept us, the Koopa King and I? Honestly, there is a struggle in my mind over accepting us, especially when I'm confined in just one room for most of my days, but it's worth the effort to try, isn't it?

That question comes into my mind a good number of times, but I still have no answer for it:

Are we worth it?

Brother, I don't know how to tell you any of this. I don't know how to tell you anything. And I'm sorry for it. Nevertheless, I hope you'll still love me.

Love,

Mario

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

After I've written it, my hands immediately worked at folding the letter and burying it beneath the pillow. Revolted, what I feel, that much I understand. Why though?

It was late in the afternoon while Iggy and Lemmy continued to pound away at my door, as they installed a type of lock or cage, to properly produce the cell that I would remain in. Bowser wanted it made to keep outsiders from coming in and killing me, but the more that I had time to think it over, the less enthused I am about the idea.

He's treated me perhaps identical to Peach, but I had not given it much thought until recently. Surely, she has managed to make her way around the castle, to explore its chambers. Of course, Bowser must have found her at some point, and forced her back to her cell. While I have an actual bedroom of my own, is it really much better? The date may be something that Bowser entertained for me, but who's to say that he's never given Peach a nice night? Even if he doesn't love her, he could still give her some freedom here. Who would know? Who would argue? So, that presented a question to me:

Am I a lover or a prisoner?

Bowser does love me, that much I know. Kamek told me that he's treating me to a great time here. Junior, the Koopalings, and everyone else even acknowledged that he's been acting stranger with me around.

Yet, thus far, I'm kept isolated, hidden, from the rest of the castle, from the rest of his world. Safety, that was the motivation for having done so. At least, that's what I'm told. Yet, here I am, still full of doubts.

After the time I spent in the study, after helping him with Junior, I thought that they would be cleared up, but now I've questioned it more.

As if to silence my mind from sorting it out further, a bang sounded from down the hall. I sit up on the bed as Lemmy and Iggy stopped working. Bowser must have returned. Or maybe it was Junior?

"Hey, who are you?" Lemmy asked. Not Bowser or Junior?

"We're busy right now and we don't need interruptions," snapped Iggy.

Even though it was distant, I listened to a crackling noise as something started up down the hall.

"What do you think you're doing?!" demanded Iggy. Just as he got the words out though, the noise turned into a whiz and flew past the door. Two thuds were all I heard for a moment after that.

Then, soft but hurried footsteps trailed up to my door. The hum of a spell rose up as the door was burst open. In walked a red robed Magikoopa, as he stepped over the fallen bodies of Iggy and Lemmy.

"Mario!" he cried. "You're ok! Thank—"

"Who are you?" I interrupted. The Magikoopa appeared confused at first, and looked as though he were searching my eyes for answers, but then realized it as he glanced down.

"Oh, this, right," he laughed as he stared at the robe. "It's me, Mario. Well, this isn't really me, but I know you, and Peach sent me—"

"Peach knows a Magikoopa?" I had to cut him off again.

"No, no. I'm a Toad," he explained. "I've used a Sneaky Parasol to keep myself hidden while I snuck through Bowser's Castle! Pretty cool, huh?"

My heart lifted and sank as I processed what he told me. Peach had sent a Toad to infiltrate Bowser's Castle and rescue me. While I was pleased with that, I was also upset with it. What would Bowser think if I just ran off? No, that's obvious, but what do I—?

"Mario?" the Magikoopa, or, Toad asked me. "Are you all right?"

"Huh? Oh, y-yeah," the words slipped from my mouth, as I studied him over again. "It's just…"

"Oh, the Magikoopa thing," he nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty confusing. It's a great disguise, but it does too good of a job. Speaking of which, I'm going to have to knock you out too."

"What? Wait, why?"

"Well, the spell I cast against the Koopalings won't last long," he admitted, and pointed back to the two. "If I leave you unharmed, they'll know something's up."

"But I thought we were leaving," was my confused murmur.

He patted my arm and stepped back. "We will; I promise that I'll get you out of here. But I just need a little more time to get a proper escape plan formed. We want to get out of here without getting captured again."

Though I'm reluctant, I nodded as the wand began to glow.

"You won't be stuck here too much longer Mario," he vowed again. "Trust me."

My lips forced a smile to reassure him; the Magikoopa disguise made it difficult to tell just how nervous the Toad was. He smiled back, and raised the wand. A rush of colors gleamed from it before bathing the room white, and then black.

* * *

 

**[Junior]**

I hurried through the castle halls after Papa as he followed the marching orange Bob-omb with a curly black mustache and green fuse rope. He ran and was far enough ahead of us that we could probably talk without him hearing.

"Papa," I whispered loudly, so only he could hear, "what about that magic stuff from before? The stuff you and Kamek talked about?"

"Hmm?" Papa grunted. "What about it?"

"Well, why don't we use it more? And why wouldn't Peach always use it?"

"That's the thing about magic, son," he explained. "While it's powerful stuff, it's pretty costly to use."

"How?"

He scratched his chin for a minute. "You know how Kamek has those wrinkles behind his specs and under his robe?"

"Yeah," I answered, but I haven't seen them in a while. Kamek's good at hiding those kinds of things.

"That's just the tip of using too much magic," Papa kept going. "There are all kinds of side effects, or bad things, that can happen from using a lot of magic."

"Bad things?" I asked. "Like what?"

"It depends on the spell. Let's see," he listed. "It might make you grumpier, make you forget all kinds of memories, take control of your body, or mind, cause bleeding, turn you into another species, drive you crazy, and, in really extreme and dangerous cases, kill you or someone else."

"Wow, that's…a lot of bad things," I barely whispered back.

"Yep, that's why we don't use it too often," answered Papa.

Suddenly, a Blooper came floating over to us from another hallway. "Your majesty, Olive sent me to tell you about Red."

"What happened?" growled Papa, and he got the Bob-omb to stop with us for a minute.

"She told me that he was coming from the stairwell to your quarters, sir," the Blooper explained. "He wasn't meant to be there, so she sent me—"

"Of course he shouldn't have been there!" roared Papa. "I'll head over there—"

"Sire, you're still needed with my soldiers," the orange Bob-omb cried out, and he sounded pretty worried.

"I can go, Papa," I volunteered. "You come after you help out the Bob-ombs."

He scratched his chin again, for a little longer, but nodded. "All right son, but be careful. If you see that red robed Magikoopa, you get away from him."

"But Papa, a bunch of Magikoopa wear red. How do I know it's him?" I asked.

"If one points a wand at you for any stupid reason," Papa told me, "that's him. I'll meet you there in a little while."

"All right," I nodded and followed the Blooper down another hallway to our rooms.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

I refused to move until Junior and the Blooper were completely out of my sight. Once they were, I turned back to glare at the Bob-omb with the handlebar mustache.

"This issue with the Bob-ombs better be serious," I snarled. "My kid could be in danger."

"Rest assured, my King," he soothed. "It's a bit of a crisis, but with your help, we'll be finished quite quickly." He urged me to follow as he ran back down the corridors.

"What went wrong, anyway, uh, you," I tried to ask, but realized that I couldn't remember his name. "Um, what's your name again?"

"Bombkin, sir," he bitterly responded.

"Bombkin? Like—"

"Like pumpkin, yes," he sighed. "Yellow eyes, orange body, black mustache that looks like a mouth, green fuse and top; a few folks thought they were being wickedly creative."

"Huh." That's unfortunate. "Well, what's up with the other Bob-ombs?"

"Remember how you assigned us to calibrate the cannons on the Airship?"

"Yes," I murmured.

"Well, we may or may not have had a few…complications. Cannon clogging. A few that lost sight of what they were doing."

My patience wore out before he could go on. "Why the hell do you need me for that?"

"Oh, uh, Gooper Blooper may or may not have popped out of the ocean for a spell to come, um," he awkwardly spoke, as he tried to make it more hypothetical than factual, "and possibly crunch the ship to bits and demanded for you."

"What, he came from Seaside for me?" I questioned and tried to hide sounding impressed; we have a direct route from the sea, but it's more of a hassle if you're traveling by anything aside from aerial routes, with hidden pipes and perpetual storms en route.

"He'll explain more once you arrive," Bombkin sighed, as we rounded the corner to basement stairwell, en route to the underground hangar outside the castle walls.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

With a blink, I gazed around. I was at the base of a blue and purple mountain, in an open field. A red bird flew above me and dove down, blitzing past me. The bird almost seemed to be lit with flames, with a mix of red, orange, and yellow in its feathers. It soared back up again, and I found myself chasing it.

"You are gifted," whispered a faint, masculine voice. Was it the bird…? It continued to fly, but I couldn't tell if it was speaking to me.

Gently, it floated down, near a blue, moss-covered stone. It was larger than most birds, almost my size even, perhaps just a bit smaller. My approach slowed and I tried to still my body.

Was I hunting this…bird?

If so, why would I even bother, while it can see me in the open?

Logic didn't seem to stop me, as I inched my body closer, and waited again. By the way the fire danced on its body, it seemed like the bird was resting in a breeze, but I felt nothing. Though I heard the grass beneath me, which rustled with a gust, I couldn't feel any of it.

Just as I neared the flame-feathered bird, it spread its wings and flew off. However, it refused to leave as I watched it dance in the sky, taking off only as I began to chase it again.

It guided me further up along a hill, as the sun began to set. Two butterflies, one colored a bright red, and the other a dark green, floated together past the bird. Even as they neared it, even if the bird was truly a being of fire, they would not separate from one another.

As I watched the two disappear, I heard the voice again, though it sounded more feminine this time: "You are cursed."

Gifted, cursed?

It glided down and stopped for a moment on a purple rock. Then, it leaped over to a star-shaped stone, dimly lit in a bright blue.

For some reason, I repeated my tactic from before, still standing in the open and trying to pounce on the bird. Why, I couldn't understand, nor control. Part of me felt uncertain about even catching the bird, but the other part of me had an odd yet strong determination to do so.

Once again, before I could reach the bird, it took off. Again, it hovered in the air, and waited for me to chase it again.

Don't. I don't know why, but don't do it.

My body, however, ignored my thoughts and charged after it once again.

Night had fallen as I traveled higher, closer to the sky, almost as if I could touch the stars. The bird flew in front of me, turned to face me, and as it flapped its wings, I approached it again. Why I have done so doesn't make sense, nor did it when I stretched my arm up to reach out to it. I was much closer this time, enough that I should have felt those fire-feathers burn my hand.

"Not yet," it voiced again. The voice sounded not from the bird, but around it, us.

Before I could react, it soared back into the air, and took flight away from me once more. This time, I do not follow it. Instead, I gazed ahead and saw Luigi, Peach, and Junior sitting together in front of me. They did not acknowledge my presence, but stared outward at the stars.

"Luigi?" I called, and waited for my brother to turn around. "Luigi!"

Somehow, he wouldn't budge. I tried to call out Peach, and even Junior, but neither one moved either.

A short distance away, Bowser pushed himself up from the ground, now sitting up with the others. He, however, turned to me, and with a smile, rolled his head and waved his hand for me to join him.

Slowly, I shuffled across the dark grass, and passed another blue star-shaped stone near the others. Somehow, they were entranced with the stars in the sky, and still did not shift their vision to me, even for just a moment. I sat beside Bowser, and heard the grass crinkle beneath me, but felt nothing. His arm wrapped around me and pulled me closer, into him.

Softly, he leaned his face near mine, and, with his breath airless against my ear, sweetly whispered, "What should we wish for?"

To know what's going on would be fantastic, came my thought, but I didn't voice it.

"Mario…" he whispered, his voice more distant. What would I wish for?

"Mario." Wait. Wish? What was all of this?

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

"Stupid squid," I muttered, as I trudged up the stairs to the bedrooms. "Asking for that kind of a thing. Really, just how much does he need…?"

With little effort, I picked my arm up and pushed the door open. Junior leaned against the left wall and was having a discussion with Lemmy. Iggy trod from Mario's room and shrugged.

"What's going on?" I grumbled as I approached the three.

"We were working on the cage when we were attacked," explained Lemmy.

I grinded my teeth, and managed, "Let me guess, by a red Magikoopa?"

Lemmy nodded. "Junior told us that you were wary about one."

"Yes, I am," I corrected. "What else happened?"

"They don't know," Junior intervened. "Iggy questioned him, but they both got zapped and knocked out instead."

My fits tightened as I turned to Iggy. "And Mario?"

Iggy adjusted his glasses, and swallowed before answering, "He was attacked too. And he's still unconscious."

Impulse guided me to move past him and I glanced in through the door. Mario was leaned against his bed and on the floor, asleep. Unconscious.

"How long…?"

"Since Junior came in about," Iggy calculated, "…forty-five minutes and twenty-three seconds ago."

Turning back to them, I studied the Koopalings carefully. Lemmy had been seated the entire time I had been there while Iggy wobbled on his own two feet.

"And how long have you two been like that?"

"Since after Junior woke us up," noted Iggy.

Lemmy added, "It felt like we got up too early. I don't even want to move."

I rubbed my hand under my chin. "Junior, go with the Koopalings and take them to Kamek. He's going to be annoyed with the interruptions, but explain that another Magikoopa likely attacked them with a sleeping curse."

"Sleeping curse…?" asked Iggy, who attempted to stand upright, but only teetered around once again.

"Easy," I insisted. "Junior, take Lemmy and guide Iggy. Go. And if you see any Koopalings or other soldiers along the way, have them help you."

"Got it, Papa," my son answered. "Come on guys."

Junior gathered the two Koopalings and slowly took them back down the stairs. I walked into Mario's room and gazed out the window as I scooped him up and placed him in the bed. Darker. Late night.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

My eyes snapped open and found Bowser's face in front of mine. I felt myself jolt from the bed and into him. Though I was pretty sure that I crashed into him, he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning to you too," he laughed heartily. My eyes shifted to take in the room; if it was morning, it was early. "Bad dream?"

"No, not this time," I murmured.

He pulled back from me, and held my shoulders to get a good look at me. "You get them often?"

I tilted my head back and forth a bit. "Lately, yes."

"Well, I get that my castle isn't the coziest," he muttered, "but I figured, since you've been here before, that you wouldn't—"

"Oh, no," I grasped his hand to interrupt. "I wasn't here. The first nightmare was, but I wasn't. Since I've been here, they usually take me somewhere else."

His eyes widened with curiosity. "Where?"

"Um…Star Hill, and…" I thought for a minute. "Actually, all of them have been there."

He tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow. "What are you doing off over there?"

"A few different things," I commented and scratched my head. "Chasing a bird for today's."

"Huh," he grunted.

"Yep, they confuse me too."

"You sure it didn't have anything to do with, um," he started to ask. "Well, a Magikoopa was here earlier, and I hate admitting that I failed you more than once, but…he attacked you."

"Magikoopa?" I thought for a minute and tried to remember.

"Yep, he wore a red robe, pretty shifty acting, knocked out Iggy and Lemmy," Bowser listed.

And then it came back to me. The Toad. My eyes widened when I realized that part had actually occurred.

Bowser rubbed my shoulder. "Sorry, I'm sure that's not what you wanted to hear."

"It's all right," I shook my head. "As long as I'm still alive, it couldn't have been that bad."

"He could be the one giving you those nightmares," grumbled Bowser, but I shook my head.

"Kamek told me that he would have known if it were a Magikoopa," I clarified.

"Kamek knows about this?"

"That's why I was in the study," I admitted. "I wanted to know more, tried to look it up, Kamek came in, and explained that much to me."

Bowser slowly nodded. "So that's why he found you there and not running off somewhere else."

"Ah, right," I chuckled.

His chest expanded and compressed as let out a heavy sigh. "I should have known about this."

"Sorry, I didn't want you—"

"No, no, I should be able to figure it out," Bowser persisted.

I winced and gave him a confused look. "How? You're not a mind reader."

"No," he snickered. "But I want to be a Mario reader."

He bubbled with laughter while I stared blankly, and then lowered my eyes. "That sounds like an awful learning game title."

"It's perfect!" laughed Bowser. "I should be in charge of your marketing division!"

"Please no," I deadpanned my plea. "It can be weird enough to see what the Toads come up with using my likeness. I'd rather not imagine what my boyfriend would put together."

"Hey," he nudged me. "I think I'd do quite well, thank you very much!" He huffed and folded his arms together. "You have no confidence in me, I swear."

A pang hit my stomach; that wasn't what I needed to hear. "Can you blame me?" I defended.

"Yes," Bowser pouted. "I've done a lot for you."

Like metaphorically stabbing my heart, sure. "W-Well…" For some reason, part of me screamed to tell him the truth, but part of me resisted. "You're right, but…" I could just ask for better arrangements, right? But if I tell Bowser the truth I could be putting that Toad's life in more danger that he's already risked.

Would it be easier to ask for forgiveness later than tell the truth now, and then try to have him spare the Toad? It's hard enough keeping me from dying, and after the attack on the Koopalings, no one will take kindly to the same idea for the Toad.

"Mario?"

It was the best I could think of. My head dropped. "S-Sorry."

"Aw, come on, I didn't mean to guilt you…well, maybe a little," Bowser nervously chuckled.

"You're right though," I admitted and realized the truth. "You have done a lot for me, just keeping me alive here. It's not perfect, but not everything is, so…"

He rubbed his hand against my back, and let his claws gently scratch me, soothing me. "You're right too, though. It's not my best efforts, is it?"

"No, Bowser—"

"Why don't you sleep with me tonight?" he asked. I waited for a laugh or a joke, but his red eyes just pierced through me. Sincerity. No, I'm not reading him right. My eyes lowered and I puffed out my cheek. "What? I'm serious."

"Right," I scoffed, "because that's not going to lead to anything—"

"I'll be good, I promise," he winked with a smirk. "Besides, it could be helpful. Maybe I can chase the nightmares away." His smirk grew into a hopeful grin.

Still, I shook my head. "Somehow, I don't think it works like that."

"Probably not," he relented, yet insisted, "but it's worth a shot. Not to say sleeping with your boyfriend suddenly prevents nightmares and bad thoughts, but I might distract you." My eyes narrowed. "Not like that! Just…you know, being with me."

Relaxing myself, I sat back and studied his face. Maybe we're not an ace pair of lovers that can aptly read each other, but I'm learning when he's being serious. This was one of those times. "You'll behave, huh?"

"Well, maybe I'll just torture you a little bit." His toothy and mischievous grin grew, and I punched him lightly in the arm. "What? I'm joking!"

"You better be," I muttered. "It's too dangerous to fool around."

"Trust me," he assured me. "I can be discreet. We'll stuff you under my covers and no one will know you're there." I glared at him again. "Aw, loosen up! I have to have a little fun with this."

Though I was still hesitating, on multiple thoughts, my head nodded. Without any more fuss, he scooped me up, stealthily opened and peeked out the door, and crept down the hall. Quietly, he opened the door to his own room. We slipped inside and he shut it just as carefully, and then locked it.

The room wasn't lit, but I could already tell there was a lot of red that decorated the place. Red curtains, sheets, pillows, dressers, and trunks. My eyes wandered about, and I observed what I could.

"I'll try to show you more tomorrow," he whispered, and then yawned. "Do you want to take the bed or share it?"

I turned back to him, mouth opened, but nothing came out. The only things I could see clearly were his bright, flaming red eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys missed the letters! They're making a comeback! As is the Mario/Bowser fluff-mush spectacular.
> 
> Ok, first, the parts no one cares about: Bombkin was a such fun character to come up with, and I just needed to note that. Literally, a pumpkin bomb; that sounds like a great idea for Mischief Night. Gooper Blooper preview was also fun, but no spoilers on him; just know that he'll be back. Name dropping rules! Speaking of the named and the nameless, that sneaky Red...! Will he really be able to break Mario out of Bowser's? Does Mario really want to go? (After that ending, could you blame him if he declined?)
> 
> Besides minor character shenanigans, hey, Mario finally told Bowser that his dreams are freaky! So, naturally, the response to that is to cuddle Mario close and bring him to bed, because naturally, that makes it better. ...IT'S TRUE LOVE, HONEST! And don't look at me like that, I'm not redirecting your attention from serious stuff with cute clumps at all.
> 
> Other stuff: It was nice to give Junior another section; it's been a while since he had a perspective, so I managed to work that in. If it felt like the writing quality dipped, he is still a child, so it was intentional. (Junior using bigger words would be too weird, right?)
> 
> All right, I've had my words. Next chapter spoilers: we'll be jumping over to Luigi, Peach, and friends, as they head to the sandy place. Nope, not Seaside, it's the Deserts. Cue the heroic...groaning. Thank you again for reading! It's really cool how far this has come, but I checked and remembered that this is still the beginning half of the story, so there's still quite a bit to go. I hope that's ok and you don't hate me. Please make sure your eyes are still in tact after reading. Deep breath. And then...exhale. Better? Cool. Thanks again!


	14. A Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now working as a full team, Peach and Luigi guide Yoshi and the Toads to free the second fortress from Bowser's control. However, a dark foe awaits them inside, as Luigi also learns about the big secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, so, this chapter decided to have a lot of stuff go on and take over second rank in terms of length. Since it's pretty long, give yourself some time to read it! When you're all set, buckle up. Seriously, stuff happens. (Also, italics in this chapter quote other things. Just so you know.)

**[Luigi]**

One would imagine that marching through the Deserts might be quite the trying and tiring experience. Considering that my brother and I have done so before, I can tell folks that it certainly would be, on most occasions.

However, when someone that traveled with can whip out a magic scepter and blast most enemies to cinders, the road would be easier.

Sure, she didn't have anything to make the actual hike there easier, but it was nothing compared to past visits. As we trudged through the sandy trails, Peach would cast spell after spell against whatever Goomba, Koopa, or Firesnake jumped up to attack us. If I looked away for a moment, a pink flash would be the only sight that I would see as I returned my attention to her.

Meanwhile, the rest of us were worn out from just traversing the desert's landscape. Yoshi had already taken to carrying both Green and Yellow Toads on his back, and moved a bit slower as a result of the extra weight. Whenever we reached platforms that allowed us to quickly get across large mounds of sand, I would force myself to stop and turn back to help pull the Blue Toad up and along, who helped the Purple Toad right after. Though she waited for us, our princess was always leading the way.

After she floated to the top of the latest flagpole, Peach ripped off Bowser's black flag and glided down to the rest of us. The Purple Toad took out a pink one with Peach's royal crest on it, one of her crown, and hoisted it to the top.

"Right," Peach sighed and nodded. "That should be the last one before the fortress."

"Hah…good," I panted. "I think…Yoshi might be…getting tired."

"Nope, I'm ok for now," reassured the ever-energetic Yoshi.

"Well, we can take a break and walk to the fortress instead of running," suggested Peach. "Sound fair?"

The four Toads and I nodded. Yoshi watched us a bit and joined in.

"Ok. Yoshi, why don't you lead the way for a bit?" asked Peach.

"Sure! Leave it to me!"

The green dinosaur happily skipped ahead, and the two Toads on his back buckled with each step. Behind them, the Blue and Purple Toads snickered with one another. I moved to follow them, but Peach tugged on my arm and held me back.

"Luigi, could you hold my scepter, please?"

"W-What? Me?"

"Yes," Peach sighed. "We shouldn't run into any more enemies along the way."

Still perplexed, I shrugged and took her golden scepter as we slowly followed the others, and fell behind by a bit. Its heart-shaped head caught my attention, and I gazed in at the sun-sparkled jewels. The rim of it was golden, like the rest of the rod, but there was a thin blue layer between it and the pink ones that shaped around the heart. A larger blue gem was at the core of the wand, similar to the one that Peach wore on her dress.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

My head snapped up and I turned to Peach. "O-Oh, y-yes it is," I stuttered out.

She shook her head, and then looked at me with disdain. "Luigi, you don't have to pretend it doesn't concern you." What? "I can tell that you're just as worried about my safety as everyone else is. Please don't be."

I scratched at the back of my head. "Princess, we're all concerned about you because you lead this kingdom," I explained. "If anything happened to you, we would be in more peril than we could imagine. It's only natural that we act defensive over you and show our worries. However," I added, "I also know that you're very capable, especially with this scepter in hand. In fact, we're all having a hard time keeping up with you as you lead us about. None of us will stop watching out for you, but don't mistake our apprehensions with doubts." Still, she seemed unconvinced, so I tossed in a bit more: "I act the same way around Mario every time we venture together."

Peach took a long stare at me. "I'm sorry, Luigi," she bowed her head. "Honestly, I know that I haven't been myself lately."

As it gleamed again, I waved the wand at her while she picked her head up again. "Would this have anything to do with it?"

"Probably," murmured Peach. "Magic is…complicated. And the side effects can take a toll on the user."

"Side effects that include…?"

"Memory loss and nastier personalities, for starters," Peach answered. "It takes a heavy hit on the user, and has different effects for the various spells. Sometimes, the side effects vary based on users. For example, one person might experience memory loss, while another has the sharpest memory around. In turn, however, the latter person may become more hostile, whereas the former has the sweetest demeanor."

"Peach," I practically gasped before I continued, still anxious, "with that kind of backlash, you shouldn't be using this rod."

"Perhaps, and that's normally why I limit the use," admitted Peach. "However, I still have used its magic before, but I don't always carry it around with me. Usually, if I'm able to prepare beforehand, I'll cast a spell that allows me some magic capabilities before leaving the castle." She sighed. "It's not all bad magic, Luigi. And Bowser has tested my patience to the very last end. No more. I'm taking back the entire kingdom by whatever means necessary."

My head slowly shook. "And at what cost, Peach?"

We stopped and she gave me another long, hard look. After a silent minute, Peach took her scepter back and muttered, "Whatever it takes to get Mario back. He's done the same for me countless times before and I owe him this much. I owe my kingdom as well."

And with that, Peach resumed her walk behind the others. There was more that I wanted to ask her, but I had already pushed the princess too far. Perhaps later I could dig for more answers.

Answers from her, at least. One foot lifted up and fell forward as I got ready to follow the others. However, my hands shuffled around my overalls until I pulled out Mario's letter. I waited more than long enough to read over the rest of this.

Hesitation flared up within me, however, as I studied the folded letter. Was this the time to read it over? The preview I had earlier had given me some worries over what was going through my brother's head. And it is his, so maybe I shouldn't.

In spite of myself, my hands slowly opened the letter. Curiosity trumped fear today.

My feet dragged along, and I was able to follow the group, but the distance between us was quite noticeable. A slight jog closed the gap a bit, but kept it sizeable enough that I could read the letter in peace. With a periodic eye on the road, I brought my attention to my brother's letter.

_Beloved friend_ , wait. I've already read that bit. A bit further along and I'm past what I've read over. _We come together, time and again, and I love it._ What was he thinking of? _His royal majesty, they call mockingly call him, his grouchiness, his awfulness, his wretchedness, and all the terrible rest._ Those titles sounded…familiar. Bowser's henchmen have called him such before, in either mock support or the weirdest terms of endearment. But why would Mario…? _Truth be told, I'm no hero, for I love this destruction, this chaos._ What? No way.

_Yes, him. He is the fire, my fixation. He literally breathes flames and would dare to put on a show just for one, just me. Always just for me, I like to tell myself. Imagine._

I stumbled and took a moment to regain my footing. The path took a few turns that I hadn't been aware of and I followed the others carefully. While I was ready for one of them to turn back to me, ask me something, none of them did. The four Toads laughed and told stories to one another, which managed to keep Yoshi's attention. Peach had already worked her way to the front, too focused on leading to check on me again.

Good. I needed the space, because the way Mario's letter sounded was off. For some reason, it felt like a love confession for…but that can't be right.

Back to the letter, it…he went on to mention how people misjudge the princess and to discuss his relationship to Peach, a mostly platonic one. He even went on about how she confided in him, because the stresses might be too much for anyone else. And I needed to look back up again, at Peach, because I'm one of them, the people she refused to tell about her inner turmoil. Even as we spoke before, I still wasn't able to get her to open up further. What nerve had Toadsworth struck earlier? What else would set her off like that?

My eyes drifted back to the letter. Mario went on to reaffirm that Peach was not interested in him romantically, contrary to many people's beliefs. Though part of me had hoped my brother would be interested in royalty, specifically Peach, I hadn't dwelt upon the two as an actual couple. Mostly, I just wanted one of us to be able to get close to her for whatever benefits it might have brought. Since Mario managed it, I left it to him, but it appeared that Peach wasn't interested in him, and I'd imagine myself by extension. The way she's held her attention on Mario, how she steals him away from everyone, just for some time alone, whatever compliments she handed Mario in private…

_They're the thoughts that any woman could have. Or any man, right? Wait, wait, what?_

A bit further in, I hit: _People would call Bowser disgusting. How is beyond me._

I've practically tripped at this point, and flailed my arms to keep balance. The letter flapped as I waved and my eyes are widened. I thought Yoshi might have looked back, so I pulled myself back together, and stiffen myself back into a stroll behind the others and move the letter in back of me. The dinosaur glanced in my direction and smiled. With a struggle, I sent him one back and waved. While Yoshi was pacified, the Yellow Toad turned to check on me as well.

"You all right, Luigi?" he called.

"Fine," I lied. "Just keeping an eye on the rear." If Peach had been at all curious, that would force her attention away. The Toad nodded and went back to chattering with his friends. My forced smile fell and I felt my body shake.

This isn't right. The letter isn't right. _He's strong, imposing. No, it's fake. When our eyes meet, I see warmth. The heat's playing tricks on my eyes. Sure, the scales are different, but they seem so smooth, gross. The fun part is the tail. It wags around as he saunters, flowing delicately after the rest of his form._ I'm not really reading this. I'm not. _I admit, it's not the best way to offer myself to him, but it gets the point across._

What I have here is not my brother's writing. The-this garbage about a nicer Bowser and love for his army, his kid, that can't be Mario's thoughts. He calls out Toads on their cowardice, my brother would never do that. Bowser isn't a family man; he is a monster! Of all people, Mario would know.

I can barely read this anymore, yet I can't stop completely. _I already know the kingdoms, the world, would call my love a form of insanity, but would he?_ Yes, this is insanity. If it were real, that is. _Could I change him? Should I? Would I change?_ Mario never changes. Not that much. He wouldn't.

But the next part of the letter holds no punches. _I can't even imagine my own brother's reaction. His twin, so twisted inside?_ Sure, Mario would be concerned with my opinion, but…no. _How could I ever let my little brother down?_ He…he…stop, it's not real. _Luigi has always been so selfless, putting everyone and everything before himself. How could I possibly hurt him in such a way, betray him?_ …You never would. Mario, that is. He never would. This trash heap isn't him.

Why am I even still reading this? _I should hate these thoughts, this lust. Love between men is a delicate subject in and of itself. Love between mortal enemies isn't possible._ I…well, men in love…enemies definitely shouldn't be. No, no! This. Is. Not. My. Brother! _Yet it's real. These are my thoughts. I desire these things._ STOP! …Stop reading.

_Something that no one can know, and it's that I love Bowser. Not Luigi, my brother whom I share many things. Not Peach, who can be my confidant as much as I hers. Not even Bowser himself, who will probably never know my declarations of love._

…No.

_Yes, I'm sure this will end up in someone else's hands, at some point or another. I am hopeful that it is someone who comes to understand me, if not someone I come to love._ A pang hits me hard in the chest. _Truly, I hope that I've given this away willingly and that it was not stolen from me._

I lifted my head as my hands quaked. I'm desperate for one of the others to look back now, to wonder if I'm all right. But they're satisfied in keeping to the path, and they're in no hurry to look back.

The letter ends with: _Fondly, Mario (Yep, that's-a me!)_

And that was it.

My eyes poured over the words, over and over again. It couldn't be real. There was no rhythm, no rhyme, and no reason. It was illogical. Somehow, I had to have made a mistake in what I saw or did. Checking again though, I was certain:

This was his handwriting. It was my brother's work.

No, this had to be a ruse. Bowser planted it, or had one of his soldiers do it.

My brother, our hero, could not be in love with the evil king. Bowser is a demon! Mario knows that. Even if he were gay, he wouldn't go after a literal monster. Not after the tyrant of the Mushroom Kingdom, not after the cruelest being we know.

Wait, what am I saying?! This isn't the truth! The letter is just a very convincing fake that someone else made! It's not real! …It can't be.

…And yet…

"Luigi!"

"What?"

A shove against my head refocused my attention. Peach stood in front of me, annoyed. The rest of the group stood behind her, concerned and…in front of a pyramid. The fortress.

Fingers snapped. "Luigi, come on! We've tried getting your attention repeatedly!"

"S…Sorry Princess. Everyone." I bowed my head. Peach's eyes followed and I realized that my hands still clutched the letter.

"What's that rubbish?" she asked.

"It's not rubbish!" I jumped to the defensive instinctively. Peach gave me an inquisitive expression and I bit my lip. Wasn't it trash? Wasn't this piece of drivel exactly that?

"Then what is it," she questioned, and carefully studied my behavior, "if it's so important that it'll distract you enough to walk straight into the fortress?"

Was I really about to? "It's a letter from Mario," the words slipped out of my mouth. No! No, they can't know!

"Really?" asked Yoshi. "When did you get it?"

Before Peach could even think of snatching it from me, I folded the letter back up and hid it away within my overalls. "A while ago, before all of this. He sent it to me from his last adventure," my lie rolled right off of my tongue. "It's just something that I took with me so I could…so I wouldn't…"

A hand came down and rested on my shoulder. I blinked. Peach's face changed and was more sympathetic. "He'll be fine, Luigi. We've come this far. We will save him."

Does he want that? "…Ok."

The Green Toad leaped off of Yoshi and tossed out the Item Bag, which I hadn't even realized he was carrying. "Should we equip anything before we go in?" he asked.

"Fire Flowers are always useful," suggested the Purple Toad.

"But we're in a desert," pointed out the Blue Toad. "They're going to have some resistance to fire prepared in there, right?"

"No way, that would be Seaside," argued the Yellow Toad.

"If anything, our best bet would be the Penguin Suit," I intervened. "But we need to save that for the colder areas where we really need it."

"Then what should we use?" the four Toads asked together.

"Nothing," came my answer that they feared. "We'll go in and use whatever we can find."

"Luigi," argued the Purple Toad, "we can't just go in defenseless while the Princess, uh…well…" he trailed off.

"I can handle the front," Peach huffed. "The last fortress may have been empty, but the entire way here wasn't."

The Toads exchanged nervous glances and nodded. They lined up behind Peach to enter the fortress. I moved to follow, but something grabbed my arms and held me back. Yoshi.

I pivoted back around to him. In a lowered voice, I asked, "What's wrong, Yoshi?"

"Uh-Um…" he shivered.

"Are you scared?" I asked. He nodded quickly. It wasn't the first time this happened. "Yoshi, it's fine. Just wait out here for us to get back."

"But what if something goes wrong?" he questioned. "I…I've gone into these before."

"That's really brave of you," I soothed. That was brave of him, something that a lot of us lacked. And being courageous was something that Mario excelled in.

Still, Yoshi shook his head. "No, just desperate. If I didn't, who would?"

"Well, you don't have to worry about that here," I reassured him. "We can handle it."

"But…what if something bad happens in there?"

For a moment, I wasn't certain on how to answer him. "We'll take care of it," I forced out and put on a smile to calm him. Yoshi's dark blue, almost black, eyes studied mine. They wavered with fear. He couldn't go in.

He would try to go against that though. "I can't just…" he whispered.

"Yoshi, stay. We can do this." I felt I was telling myself that as much as I was telling him.

Somehow, that managed to pacify Yoshi, at least enough to nod and back away. I nodded back and ran into the pyramid fortress, quite a bit behind the Toads and Peach.

After I had entered, all that I could see at first were large amounts of sand, which practically covered the brown floor. Straight ahead appeared to go on for a while, so I started to sprint again.

"Luigi, not that way!" called one of the Toads.

With a skid, I stopped myself and looked upward. The four Toads were jumping on platforms above me. Peach had paused to glance down at me, before she returned her attention to an approaching Dry Bones. A small pink spell fired out, and encased the bone pile in a block of ice. The Green Toad hopped over, lifted the ice block, and threw it away. Upon contact with a wall, it shattered to bits.

"Hurry up, Luigi!" shouted Peach. "The Toads are still searching for Ice Flowers."

It took a brief scan of the room around me, but I noticed some blocks formed together just above a sand mound. Running up the heap, I jumped onto the platform and made my way up toward the others. A Dry Bones leaped after me and I barely managed to avoid it.

"Hey!" I yelled. "You guys missed one!"

"My bad," the Yellow Toad apologized. "I stepped on that one before by accident."

Left to repeat the attack, I jumped up and stomped down on the resurrected Koopa's head, which knocked the bone pile back to pieces. Again, after I spotted a path of platforms, I hurdled myself upward. Eventually, I had caught up to the group, just as the Blue Toad bashed a block open to reveal a batch of Ice Flowers.

"Ah! Here they are!" he cheered. "Come on everyone! Get them while they're hot! Or, uh, cold, I guess."

Each of the four Toads and I had rushed around to grab an Ice Flower. With a glow and a flash, the five of us have our clothes altered to include a bright blue, and now signified our acquired ice powers.

"Too cool!" announced the Green Toad as he spun around and launched two balls of ice. "Pun intended!"

"H-Hey, watch it," cried the Purple Toad. "You nearly froze me!"

We continued to ascend the pyramid, and the space around us slowly thinned as we climbed higher. Though a number of Dry Bones had showed up, Peach froze most of them before we caught up, and left one of the Toads to throw it away. A few Swoopers had appeared, and the small purple bats tried to impede us. Peach, however, took out most of them. Any Swooper she missed, an ice ball would be sent out to send the leftover bats spiraling down the pyramid, with a faint shatter that sounded below.

"Huh. I would have imagined that Bowser would at least have tried to give us a harder time over this," echoed Peach's voice.

"Be thankful that he didn't, Princess," laughed the Green Toad.

It's true. Why wouldn't Bowser have made his forces here tougher? Could Mario have anything to do with that? …Wait, no, that would be admitting that they're interested in each other, which—

"Luigi! Watch out!" yelled a Toad.

Barely, I processed it enough to spin away from a Swooper. The Yellow Toad shot an ice ball after it, and watched it plummet to the ground.

"Phew. Thanks," I let out a breath.

"You're welcome!" giggled the Yellow Toad.

"Keep up, Luigi!" chastised the Purple Toad, as he froze another Dry Bones.

I nodded, but was still distracted by similar thoughts. As the room narrowed, we arrived at large, studded orange door. Peach turned to check on us.

"Is everyone ready?" she asked.

"Definitely!" cheered the Yellow Toad and clapped his hands together.

"Let's go for it!" shouted the Green Toad as he thrust his fist into the air.

The Blue Toad bounced up and down. "This place has been so easy! It's great!"

Another laugh sounded and the Purple Toad chimed in, "Bowser's slacking here!"

Slacking. Distracted. Kidnapper. Tyrant. I bit my lip. How could Mario possibly—?

"Luigi?" Peach interrupted my thoughts. "Are you ready?"

"Uh, y-yes," came my not-so steady answer. "But don't you think this has been…well, too easy?"

"Maybe, and we'll keep our guard up," Peach agreed. "Even still, we can only go forward."

While I still hesitated, a single nod was all that the princess needed to see. With a smirk, she turned and opened the door. Our group marched in single file, and the door eerily closed behind us. It made us jump, but we recollect ourselves quickly.

The path ahead moved slightly uphill. Peach broke into a dash and charged ahead. After a few shouts, the Toads and I raced after her. Soon, we run into the main room.

"Hmm, is no one here?" questioned Peach as she moved further into the dark yellow room, lit by orange torchlight. It was cone-shaped, and the space narrowed up to the roof.

"Princess, be careful!" warned the Blue Toad.

His words had scarcely left his lips when Peach stepped on a tile in the middle of the room. Abruptly, a faint gust of air pulsed through the room. The torch flames suddenly went out, and the room was darkened. However, it didn't remain that way for long, as slowly, blue flames mysteriously relit the torches.

"W-What's going on?" nervously asked the Green Toad. "This is c-creepy."

"Yikes! Look over there!" cried out the Purple Toad. "Princess, m-move away!"

Past Peach, at the end of the room, rested a large pile of bones that had appeared. A couple of blue fireballs bounced around it, which caused them to shake. Bones rattled and the heap slowly clustered up together, into the shape of…

It was of Bowser…or a Dry Bowser.

The bones had formed into his shape, with burnt red studded collar and armbands where his normal black ones would be. Its shell was colored like charcoal, with lava-like red spaces between the plates. Rotten hair was tied up between the chipped horns on its head. Somehow, this creature gave off a more sinister vibe than Bowser himself.

"B-B-Bowser?!" shouted the Blue Toad. "He's d-dead?"

"C-Can that be true?" wondered the Yellow Toad. "Or did he rip his skeleton out?"

In the black holes where eyes belonged, two small orbs, which looked like tiny fireballs, suddenly lit up. The Dry Bowser hunched over, and let out a rattle-filled roar.

"Get ready," I called out, and hoped the Toads could focus.

"Princess…Peach…" came the awful, ghostly voice of Dry Bowser.

"H…How does it know…?" Peach began to ask, but instead fell silent.

"Congrat…ulations…on getting…this far…" rattled the boney abomination. "You have…proven to be…more of a pest…than we had originally planned for." Its speech had slowly improved as it continued.

"Happy to exceed expectations," taunted the princess.

"King Bowser had mentioned…that he still had terms to send you," he sounded out between the clattered bones.

"I'm not remotely interested in them," snapped Peach.

"Give up here and now…and you will be able to spare Mario," Dry Bowser clacked as it continued, and seemingly ignored anything Peach added in.

"We haven't come all the way here to just quit now," the princess fired back. "If Bowser wants to send idle threats, he may. But if he so much as harms Mario—"

"He lives," rattled the bones. "Tell his brother so. It might…motivate him otherwise."

Bowser was trying to get me to stop Peach? Why?

"No chance," I refused the skeletal monster's offer. "The only way to my brother will be through you and whoever else gets in the way."

Dry Bowser rolled its head around, and clacked as it did. The fireball-like eyes were a bit bigger now.

"He wondered if you truly cared about him," sounded the bones, clearer than before. "If you did, there might have been a better chance, had you accepted the offers. Now, no negotiations can be made." Dry Bowser shook violently. "Now, you decided that the war continues."

"So we have."

Peach lifted her wand. She then fired out a pink ice ball, which hit Dry Bowser's chest. It slid back a bit, with part of the bones now frozen.

"Quick guys," shouted the Purple Toad. "Get him!"

The Toads joined in, and shot a few ice balls in succession of one another, and iced up more of Dry Bowser. I was ready to throw one of my own, but faltered instead.

"What the…?" was all I could manage.

Purple smog whipped around the iced bones and melted the chunks away. Dry Bowser let out another roar and threw a large bone, which soared right after the Yellow Toad. He narrowly managed to jump over it, and fired another ice ball before the Toad bumped into the enclosed ceiling.

"Hang in there!" rallied the Green Toad.

Dry Bowser sent out a fireball, but it was a blue color instead of red or orange. As the two attacks collided, they puffed into a cloud of smoke and water, and cancelled each other out.

"Not good," cried the Yellow Toad, as he fell back down.

Dry Bowser stumbled into a run, and charged at us. Peach leaped to the side, and tried to cast another spell, which proved ineffective as a pink ball bounced off of Dry Bowser. The Purple and Green Toads tried to pelt it with ice balls, but were knocked away by the rushing bone monster, and lost their ice abilities as they slammed into the walls.

"Incoming!" yelled the Blue Toad.

As it redirected itself and neared us, the Blue Toad tackled the Yellow Toad away and I jumped out of its path. It stopped near another wall and turned back around.

"I've had enough of this!" Peach snapped and raised her scepter again. Hastily, Dry Bowser lifted its hand, which suddenly fired out and burst through the air. The bone claw slammed into Peach and locked her into a wall.

"Princess!" the Toads cried out in unison. She struggled to move her rod, but the bone claw only tightened its grip, and rendered her unable to move.

Annoyed, I leapt out and fired another ice ball at Dry Bowser, who cancelled it with another fireball.

"He would be disappointed in you," murmured the creature. "He truly would have expected you to be more cooperative, for his sake."

Wait, what? Did it mean Bowser or Mario?

"Luigi!" screamed Peach as a bone quickly fired out and knocked into my head. I stumbled backward and hit the floor.

Even as I winced from the blow, I knew that I had just lost my ice power-up. With two more shouts of pain that followed in quick succession, I forced myself back up. The Blue and Yellow Toads rolled away on the floor, and tumbled over to the claw snared Peach.

"No!" the princess cried out in anguish.

Meanwhile, it felt as though the room was spinning around me. Barely, I made out that the Green and Purple Toads had struggled back to their feet and staggered forward to fight back. Tightly, I pressed my hands against my head to make everything still again.

Refocused, I moved my hands away to find that Dry Bowser had nearly clobbered the two Toads. A swift glance allowed me to spot the other two as they squirmed and shoved against the claw that held Peach against the wall.

"The end is already near," roared Dry Bowser once more.

Quickly, I ran to a wall and kicked off of it. Launched into the air, I moved for the center, to get as high as I could. Then, I flipped and forced my feet downward toward Dry Bowser. Briefly, I felt a surge of speed and power, as my legs connected against its head. A crackle sounded and purple smog spilled out.

I bounced off of Dry Bowser, who flailed as it tried to attack before it slowly fell back to pieces. Briefly, I caught sight of its attached hand that held another bone, prepared too late for another attack. Peach cried out as she suddenly fell to the floor, along with Dry Bowser's other claw. The purple smog gathered around the shattered bones and covered it completely, before it slowly dissipated.

"You did it, Luigi!" cheered one of the Toads. Before I could tell which one, I sank back to the floor and felt my eyes shut.

_He would be disappointed in you. He wondered if you truly cared about him._

My eyes snapped back open and I found myself back outside of the pyramid. Yoshi was staring down at me, with a clearly concerned expression stuck on his face even as I pushed off of the ground. Perhaps I did it too quickly, since I felt a dizzying rush fill my head again.

"What happened?" I asked and slowly went back to the ground.

"You collapsed after beating Dry Bowser," explained Yoshi. "He gave you a nice knock on the head to remember him by."

Carefully, I felt around my head, where my cap was missing. Instead, I felt a large bump through my hair, which still stung with pain.

"Rest," Yoshi insisted, and he handed my cap over. "The Toads and Peach are trying to find out something about Bowser's Castle."

My eyes went from half closed to suddenly widened.

"Well?" I demanded. "What happened? Is Mario all right? Did Bowser mess with him? Can we get him out?"

Yoshi shook his head. "They're still checking up on it."

Gently, I pushed myself up from the ground again. This time, Yoshi wrapped his arms around me to help me up. He then sat beside me, practically on top of me.

"Are you ok?"

"Still a little sore, but I'll manage," I reassured him.

Oddly, Yoshi shook his head again. "Not like that. I meant about Mario."

Confused, I blinked and raised an eyebrow at Yoshi. He kept his arms around me, and held eye contact.

"What do you mean?"

"You seemed really worried about him before," Yoshi reminded me. "And now, you did it again, and got really scared over him. I miss Mario too, but even I'm not getting as panicked over him as you."

"He was kidnapped, Yoshi," I clarified. "Of course I'm concerned about him."

"That's not what I meant."

The green dinosaur studied me carefully. His eyes searched mine, and pried for answers that I refused to give him. Yoshi couldn't possibly understand…he wouldn't really think about what I'm hiding.

"I'm just really worried about him, Yoshi," I persisted.

Yoshi waited a bit before he pulled me backward with him, and then leaped up with me. It took him a minute to steady us, but he managed to do it.

"You can tell me some other time, then," hummed Yoshi, and he gave me a tight hug. "Mario would want me to wait too. He'd trust you with whatever you know."

That last bit stirred my headache. Yoshi couldn't know about that. No, that's just me misinterpreting him. But this dinosaur knows me better than that. I am keeping something from him…and everyone else. Something that Mario didn't trust me with. And though I'm still not sure about the letter, I've decided to take it at face value, and consider that my brother is in love with a literal monster. And that elicits a shiver that snakes around my body and over to Yoshi's.

"Luigi?" he asked as he pulled out of the hug. "Was that—?"

"Guys!" called out the Blue Toad. "Guys, we got word!"

"Huh?" was all I could get out.

"They've sent us a message from the castle," explained the Green Toad. "They're almost ready with the escape attempt!"

"Mario might be free really soon!" exclaimed the Yellow Toad. "Isn't that great?"

There's a pulse of hope that courses through everyone, and we exchanged smiles and sighs of relief, though my drains out after a minute. The question on only my mind: does Mario want to leave?

"We also got word from our castle," added the Purple Toad. "There's a visitor that will be by soon for Princess Peach."

"Visitor?" asked Yoshi.

"Yes, that's about my reaction as well," sighed Peach, but she kept her smile. "Oh well, we've faced quite heavy challenges so far. We could use a bit of regrouping."

Yoshi and the Toads nodded in agreement. Peach went on about getting back to her castle, but I remained hung up over the thoughts that buzzed around my mind. She was definitely wrong, though, that much I know.

The challenges we've faced so far were easy compared to what still lies ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, morbid much, Luigi? Then again, battling the undead can do that to people, huh?
> 
> But yeah, this chapter took some time to work out, since, hey, stuff happened! Luigi knows some things, Yoshi knows just a step or two less, Peach knows what she needs to, and...well, Toads know how to help here and there. Oh, and Dry Bowser was a cool boss to use; it was hard to pick a character that fit the desert and would mesh with Bowser's army. I figured, since we've delved this far into magic, why not use him? (Luigi considers Dry Bowser an it for the most part because Luigi considers lots of things to be inhuman monsters...in this case, he's not totally wrong.)
> 
> Sorry if the italics were kind of confusing. Some part of me thought that was easier than quoting Luigi as he quoted the letter. And for the massive mental mess that Luigi had going on. He has issues. Ha, I'm joking. (Mostly.) I wanted to be able to quote a previous chapter enough so readers wouldn't have to go back and re-read it word for word. (But if you do, it's from chapter two! Sorry.) I love you all for reading this much and I'm trying not to overload you guys, which I'm a bit near 60,000 words too late to avoid probably, oops.
> 
> Anyway, hope you all like Luigi and Peach, because they're going to get role upgrades. Whoops, surprise, but not really; they're going to be doing the same stuff as now, but get a bit stronger of a focus, also known as, MORE CHAPTERS! (You weren't reading this for the pairing, right? ...What do you mean, you were?) But, this group will be getting a bit of a break, since the next chapter does go back to the leading couple. (See? I'm with you, fellow shippers. People are shipping this pairing, right? ...What do you mean you're here for the plot?)
> 
> All right, I've blabbered on enough. If you have the energy/time left, let me know what you think of the chapter / story so far. Your words give mine more power. Thank you again for reading!


	15. An Outbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Bowser finally decides to lower his guard around Mario, everything is thrown for a loop. Red appears once again, this time with the intent of getting Mario out of Bowser's Castle. With such a heavy choice and high stakes, Mario's choice will most certainly have dramatic consequences…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What it lacks in length, it more than makes up for in weight. Brace yourself, here comes a big chapter.

Morning Mario,

Sorry that I couldn't stay with you until you woke up. A few of my troops have pounded on my door and asked for my presence, so duty calls.

Hope you slept well. Last night, you didn't really toss and turn while I was awake, so I think you were ok for the most part. I'm worried though and feel like I should have tried to stay up longer, just in case.

But, here you are this morning, still sound asleep, and you look fine, so I keep trying to tell myself that you're ok. Truth is, I'm still worried about what you told me. Don't get me wrong; I'm glad that we're on the same page now. It's just that I want to know more and see how else I can help you. I don't want you to be miserable every single time you try to sleep.

Then again, that led you to spend the night with me, so…maybe there are some benefits? (Don't glare, I'm teasing. Mostly.)

Really though, I enjoyed talking with you last night. It didn't really amount to much, and I kept turning the more serious matters into, well, silly stuff, but I was glad to have shared the night, with the different stories and topics. Except maybe that one where I went on too much about that tennis tournament. That was just…sorry.

And I don't mean to sound so lovesick or obsessive, but you are cute while you sleep. You tugged all of the covers around you, like you're in a little cocoon of red blankets. Also, your hair is messy, but I like the way it looks. It's kind of pushed up on one side and spread out, so it gets a good laugh out of me, but it also has a natural flavor that I can't quite pin down. I guess it's a little wild, maybe.

Sorry, you didn't really need to read all of that, but I can't scratch it off. So, secret's out, I'm into you. (As if either of us had any doubts.) In fact, I feel like we're actually going in a good direction. Do you feel like we're getting closer? I mean, obviously, since we're dating, but I just wonder if we have that good of a connection.

Nope, I digress, enough of that. Kamek should be by later with a big breakfast; I'll eat later, but I made sure that he could bring it by once he has a chance. That way we won't need to worry about anyone else walking in and…well, you can fill in the details.

Anyway, I need to get going. There are a few things on my agenda today, and I need to speak with the Boomerang Bros. battalion, Rex troopers, and the Cheep-Cheep squadrons. Not that you really need to know about all of that, but apparently I'm just telling you everything today.

Thanks again for spending the night, and if I helped at all, I'm glad to have done so. It's been ages since I've had that with anyone, where we actually bonded. And now that we're not beating each other up, it's much easier to talk with you.

All right, I really have to go. Don't worry, I'll be back later to overbearingly gush over you and awkwardly make us both uncomfortable. That's my specialty!

Love,

Bowser

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

As I snapped my collar on, I stare at the letter I left for him on the pillow. My eyes continued to bounce back and forth between it and him, as he snuggled deeper into the dark red sheets and sank under covers.

Even though I had been up for a while, I couldn't bring myself to leave that quickly. He was comfortable here, safe. And I wanted to stay with him and keep things that way.

A knock came at the door. "Lord Bowser, sire," came a Rex's gravely voice. "It's been a half hour since you told me you were coming. The troops could really use your presence soon."

"Yes, I'm coming," I called out and strolled across the room. Part of me felt I should have been more forceful, but I didn't want to wake Mario.

But should I? While we have just another moment together, should I just wake him up for a little bit? All I need to do is just nudge him with my nose, give him a quick kiss, and we'll be good to go. He could go back to sleep or it might be better for him to be up and alert.

Still, I don't imagine that he's slept as well as he was this moment. Kamek should be able to stop by shortly anyway.

Reluctantly, my hand gripped the door and I slipped out.

With a pivot, I turned to face the Rex soldier who had come to collect me. Nothing out of the ordinary with him: purple scales that coat the body, orange belly and tiny, sharp wings, red boots, horn on the nose, two small spikes on the tail, thin eyes, and a pair of protruding fangs on either side of the mouth.

"Is everything all right, Your Highness?" he asked.

"Fine, fine," I murmured. "Just a little slow this morning. Not a lot of sleep."

The Rex nodded and moved to guide me back downstairs, but he stopped short as Junior walked in.

"Morning Papa," he warmly greeted, but took note of the Rex trooper that had shown up. "The Koopalings were looking for you too."

"Tell them I'll get to them later on," I relayed to Junior. "I'm running late and I've got three other troops that need me too."

"Why are you running late?" questioned Junior. "I thought you were up a while ago."

"It was a long night, Junior, don't worry about it," I hurried my response and waved the boy to follow us down the stairs.

Junior followed, but continued to bring up conversations. "There are a few Koopas that are wondering if you're all right, lately, Papa."

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

The boy shrugged. "Well, the Koopalings told me that they say that you've been acting weird lately," he explained. "You captured Mario instead of Peach, used him as a chip to start war, didn't kill Mario, locked up a bunch of people that made an attempt, ordered everyone away from those guys—"

"And it's a strong plan in progress," I cut in.

"The Koopas don't think so. They think that you're doing too many things that are different from usual," Junior continued. "They think that Peach would have been the better bargaining chip for taking over the Kingdom."

"We've gone down this route before," I grumbled. "I made the mistake earlier, but this works out well enough. Peach is always rescued by Mario, so with him here, we can try to turn the tables on that." I pinched between my brows and let out a heavy breath. "I'm improvising, but it's not a bad plan. Why is that so difficult to follow?"

Honestly, I wasn't expecting my son to have an answer to it, but I needed to let it out somewhere. Gossip doesn't normally weigh down on me, but lately, it's been hitting harder than usual and slowly breathing on the truth.

I climbed down the last few steps and exited the stairwell behind the Rex and Junior. We walked through a few stony hallways to the right, then the left, and made our way to a studded door. The Rex walked in, and I turned to face Junior. He's quiet and stared down at his feet.

"You know I'm trying, right son?"

He looked up at me, and tugged down on his bib. "Sure, Papa, but…you have been different lately. Some of it's a good different, and you seem really happy some days, but other times it's different. And I feel like you're trying to hide something from me a lot of times."

If it's that obvious to him, it's that obvious period. Air swept in through my nose and I softly exhaled it.

"You might be right Junior," I relented. "We should have a talk later. Send my message to the Koopalings and I'll see you eight later."

"Ok, I will, Papa," he nodded and turned, but I grabbed him to hold him back for a moment.

"How are Iggy and Lemmy doing?" I asked as I turned the boy back to me.

"They're up, and they're better," Junior reported.

"Good. Do they remember what happened exactly?"

"Lemmy can't remember anything exactly, but usually agrees about what people tell him. Iggy remembers just working on the door, a flash, footsteps, and that's it."

My claw raked through my hair; I knew it was that Red Magikoopa, but without knowing much else, I couldn't do much about it. He wasn't the only one that wore a red robe, which would make finding him difficult.

Still, I shook my head. "All right, thank you son. Go, I'll see you later." And I bent down to give him a tight hug. "You keep those Koopalings in order for me, all right?"

"I will, Papa," he hugged back and ran off with a smile right after.

Once he was out of sight, I followed the Rex inside and found the troopers inside as they rushed about the spacious room, practicing formations and attacking methods. There were a few obstacles set up, mostly with open space and several steel platforms, set to simulate the mountain-like environment they would be sent to.

"So, what am I here for?" I asked.

The Rex began, "Well sir—"

"Hold everything!" shouted a deeper voice. "I'll take over from here."

He nodded and stepped aside as another Rex walked up. A few things about this Rex in particular were different. He had black scales where the typical color was purple, a white belly where it would have been orange, larger white wings that he might actually be able to fly with, wider green eyes, white boots, and three tail spikes instead of two.

"Hello, milord Bowser," he…purred to me. "My name is Nix, but you can call me what ever you like."

"Uh, hi," came my flat response. "Nix is easy."

"Memorable, good, I should hope so," he licked his lips slowly and lowered his eyes.

"Um…are you in charge?"

"If you'd like, I could be," he suggested with a quick wink.

"What? It's a yes or no question."

"Oh, don't worry, I have…some authority here," he murmured as he eyed me up and down. "It's been a while since I've seen you in the flesh, sire."

My eyebrows shot up and I tilted my head a bit. "…Right, so, what am I here for?"

"Some of us were requested to deploy near Seaside, not just by the mountains," he informed me. "We were hoping you could…" he gazed at my arms and down a bit before his eyes came back to my face. "…Give us some tactical advice. Among other things, of course."

"Sure, I guess? Does this need to be right now?"

"Oh, yes," Nix purred. "Yes indeed, milord."

I shifted uncomfortably in my position and folded my arms over my chest. This Rex was acting…oddly, to say the least. Quickly, I glanced down to reassess him when a small little brooch of my emblem caught my eye. It was pinned on his right shoe, barely noticeable, but definitely there.

"See something you like, sire?" He chuckled softly.

Our eyes connected again and I blinked at him. "Just show me what you need."

"Of course," he murmured and beckoned me to follow with a finger. "Right this way."

With an exasperated sigh, I trudged after him.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

The click of the door, along with a creak open, woke me up as I threw the covers over my head.

"Relax," came Kamek's unenthused voice. "It's just me. Bowser wanted a tray of breakfast brought here."

A tray's clatter from the end of the room confirmed that.

"Being a confidant over this relationship is just so rewarding," he muttered to himself as he shuffled back outside of the door.

With a laugh, I tossed the covers off of my head and heard a paper flap. I turned to the pillows next to me to see a small note written out. As soon as my eyes registered my name, I took the note and read it over.

Bowser had written a small bit, a love letter, to me, explaining about sending Kamek in, where he was, and that he had enjoyed our night together. My hands shook as I read through it, and my heart pounded, but then sank.

He was happy just to have me here, just to be by my side.

There was a clatter from the tray and I jumped up from the bed. It was on a small round table on the opposite end of the bedroom, with a large silver tray that covered its surface. I grabbed my cap from the nightstand, brushed my hair with my hand, and pulled the hat over it. Quietly, I crept over to the tray and lifted the lid.

"Yikes!" came a cry. "O-Oh. Mario, it's just you. Phew."

The Red Toad hopped off of the food tray and laughed. There were several empty plates, along with bits of food that were torn and scattered, with sauces scattered along the tray and smeared napkins.

"So you managed to sneak into Bowser's room too?" My hand clawed at the back of my head. He looked up at me with a bright smile. "Nice work! Great minds, huh?"

"Yeah, sure." Not even close.

"Well, it's a perfect place to get ready for our escape attempt," nodded the Red Toad.

"Wait. Just…how long were you under that tray for?" I had to ask.

"Oh, uh, a little while," he pondered. "Long enough to have myself a pretty fancy feast! I didn't think you'd be here already though; I would have saved you some."

Part of me was hung up over the fact that it _was_ for me, but I forced a smile and nodded to him as he knocked on the discarded lid.

"It's pretty soundproof in there too, and I tested it before I stowed away," he explained. "Must be so durable to keep the food warm…lucky for me!"

"Good thing," I chuckled.

He suddenly straightened his face and dropped a fist into an open hand. "All right, so I still have a Magikoopa wand in case of emergencies, but we're looking for a clean run." The Red Toad reached into his vest and pulled out a Cape Feather.

"Where did you get that?" I asked, not withholding my awe.

"It took ages to find one, but I brought with me from Peach's Castle before I came here," the Red Toad explained. "Remember, you can't fly indefinitely with it, so the second we hit the ground, we'll be swarmed by enemies."

"The way to the roof is just down the hall," I explained. "We can get a good distance before they see us fall. And after that, we'll fight to clear some distance and—"

"Mario, we'd be doomed if we had to fight off Bowser's army with just Capes," interrupted the Toad. "There's a secret pipe, a Warp Zone, that's hidden at the tallest volcano's base. We can take it in order to find our way back to the Grasslands."

My mouth dropped open. "We'll be right near home."

The Red Toad nodded, but gravely added, "It's a one-time use, so we need to go together and make sure we aren't followed. And this is the only Cape Feather we've found in years, Mario; as soon as an enemy attacks you, it's gone."

Slowly, I nodded. There would be no avoiding enemy attacks. We would literally need to run for it from our landing point and shoot straight for that Warp Zone.

"To tell you the truth," the Red Toad went on, "I actually had a completely different idea devised while I was still preparing to rescue you. They got word that you were here from the castle and sent me whatever records they had on that Warp Zone." He scratched his head. "Honestly, even I'm surprised with how many attempts people have made to rescue Peach, but then they fail and usually end up leaving it to you."

Peach's failed rescue attempts left a heavy weight in my mind; our chances for success were virtually non-existent. And I felt fear for this Toad, who would pay far steeper consequences than I would. I shook my head.

"You've done well, Toad," I congratulated him, "but this isn't worth the risk. I can stay here until more help arrives. I don't want you risking yourself for me."

He looked up at me and smiled. "That's something that Peach would order us to do too. But if I hadn't timed this out Mario, if I wasn't sure of myself, we'd still be waiting." His expression then changed to a more determined one. "I'm not leaving you here. You're our best chance and everyone else is already risking everything they have to come find you. I've come this far and I'm not about to quit."

He held the Cape Feather up before me.

"Whenever you're ready, Mario."

My eyes glanced around the room for a moment; not to take in every detail, but to get a good reminder that Bowser had brought me here himself. He opened up every inch of his heart with little to no questions. The Koopa King risked the wishes of his own people, of the ideas that he built his kingdom upon, for me.

But this place wasn't home.

With a heavy sigh, I stuffed Bowser's letter tightly, securely into my overalls. The Red Toad smiled again when my hand stretched out and clenched the Cape Feather. In a bright flash, the Cape Feather divided itself and turned into two long yellow cloaks. Capes. The Toad and I fastened one each around our necks and our ankles and nodded to one another.

"All right, now we hurry," the Red Toad cries as we burst from Bowser's bedroom and into the halls.

I lead him to the doors to the roof and knock them open to the next staircase. Our sprint is fast and we didn't check for anyone else that could be in our way. The Capes flap after us as we push off from one step to the next.

Quickly, we smash the doors to the roof open and rush outside. The roof is a long stretch before it runs out; it's perfect to build momentum.

We hardly pause as we redirect ourselves from the stairs, in the direction of the tallest volcano. "Ready? Go!" I hear myself shout as we race toward it, running with whatever energy we could give.

Our capes beat in the wind behind us and we keep our eyes on the edge. Just as we come to it, we jump over it and grab hold of the capes.

After we're in the air, we have a brief second of flight before we quickly feel gravity pull us down to the ground. My hands grip the cape, and I watch as the ground comes closer.

Forming a bubble shape, the cape catches the wind and gives me a bounce, firing me back into the sky.

With a quick glance, I see the Toad fly up past me, able to go further with less weight. He laughs as we bounce across the sky, toward the volcano.

Slowly, we're adjusting our height and descending from the dark clouds and soot that line the dark sky.

We're near the volcano and closer to the ground when I hear a boom sound in the distance. Cannon fire.

Within seconds of that registering into my mind, a cannonball comes whizzing past us. Another one speeds across, just over us.

The third, however, strikes the Red Toad's cape, and in a flash, it's gone. With a scream, he plummets to the ground.

Hardly anything else goes through my mind as I dive bomb right after the Toad. His fall is fast, but he's light, and my drop, even with the cape slowing my descent, is quicker.

My arms reach out and I snatch the Toad. He holds around me as I ready the cape again. We're near the ground and I puff it out for another bounce. The cannon fire continues in the distance.

Just as we lift from the ground, a cannonball smacks straight into my cape. It bursts in a flash and the Toad and I turn just a bit before we crash hard into the ground.

We push off of the ground, and I grasp my arm. Pain, but not broken. It wasn't from too high. I glance ahead and the volcano's massive base is just some distance ahead.

"We're there, Mario!" the Red Toad cheers. "We're right here!"

A sharp bang is heard from behind us. We pivot to find a swarm of Koopas with Bob-ombs, Magikoopas, and Hammer Bros. chasing after us.

The Red Toad whips out his wand and fires a hex out. The spells come out with various colors and shapes as it hits the ground. A rumble sounds and the Koopa troops skid to a halt as the earth before the rises.

A stonewall billows up and the Toad grabs me to run forward. I turn as it continues to form, and I stop looking once I see that none of the Koopas have followed us.

Once we arrive at the volcano's base, I notice a circle of markings that form the shape of a door. With another wave of his wand, the Red Toad casts another spell to unseal the base and, crumbling open, the volcano's secret Warp Zone is revealed.

Rapidly, we rush inside and the Toad whips the wand again to seal the volcano behind us. He taps it just before the stones close and lights up the interior. It's a red and craggy cavern, with slight markings on the walls around us. Just ahead, I see an orange Warp Pipe, ready for just one use.

"Mario, let's go home," the Red Toad happily cries as we walk toward the pipe.

"Stop!" thunders a voice. Impossible.

We whirl around and a lone Koopa Troopa stands opposite to us. He holds a wand out, his hands trembling. He's not trained to use it properly.

"Don't move!" he orders.

"You're outmatched," I reason. "We have a wand as well, and there are two of us. Give up now and—"

My words are left unfinished as a spell fires out. The Koopa flies backward while his wand shoots out and hits the cavern's wall.

I'm too stunned for a moment, but I turned to see the Red Toad pull his wand back. He waved his hand in front of me.

"Mario, are you in there? Bowser's Koopas can't be reasoned with!" he harshly reminded me. "Remember?"

I shook my head and stared at the Toad, who patted my arm lightly.

"It's hard to remember sometimes, I know," he soothed. "There are some Koopas that you've worked with, some that don't work for Bowser. But that one was definitely not one of them."

For a moment, I gazed back and saw the Koopa flopped over on his back. With a squint, I could see that he was unconscious. I turned back to the Red Toad and nodded.

"Let's go home."

Together, we jumped onto the orange Warp Pipe and plunged down into its dark abyss, its sanctuary.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

My hand slammed the door open and I rush out from the stairwell. Kamek called out from behind me, but I refused to listen. With a roar, I punched the wall next to my bedroom door, which had been left wide open.

Reports had buzzed through the castle the second someone caught Mario's escape, but I didn't want to believe it. He wouldn't. But he did.

My teeth were clenched, and smoke billowed from my nostrils. Water burned my eyes.

Kamek lightly grasped my arm. "I'm sorry, sire."

"One time!" I roared. With a gasp, I lowered my voice, but it's not by much, and I'm still yelling. "I kidnap that damned princess repeatedly, and he's always there to save her. Finally, I have him here, I tell him, give him, everything, and he runs?" My claws dug into the doorway and I carved straight down. "Why?"

No answers came to mind, and Kamek just shook his head.

"Sire—"

"No. I want answers! I want to know why Mario, my boyfriend, decided to run long after I kept him here. I—"

"Your _what_ now?"

My eyes nearly popped out of my face as shot wide open. Kamek jumped and we both slowly turned around. Ludwig's voice sounded. Morton's hand dropped from the doorknob.

Just a few feet away, Junior and the seven Koopalings stood outside of the boy's room, mouths agape, and all eyes on me. Briefly, I exchanged a glance with Kamek, who shook his head, and we turned back to face them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. What a shocker huh? I totally didn't see the Rex troopers being used in this story!
> 
> Yes, Mario and Red escaped. Yes, Junior and the Koopalings heard that. Yes, Bowser is having a very terrible day. Wasn't that such a fun chapter?!
> 
> Very briefly, meet Nix, an aptly named Rex that has a certain soft spot for his Koopa King. I themed him after the Black Yoshi (and partly after a Winged Yoshi) because the design was super cool in my mind. He'll show up with the rest of the one-off characters...later.
> 
> Super Mario World just happened to be stuck on my mind long enough to have the Cape Feather be used for the escape attempt. I bounced between that and the Super Leaf for the critical escape, but decided that the Cape hasn't seen much use besides Mario's smash reflector in a while. Apparently, the developers of Super Mario 3D Land faced the same choice when they were making the game and went with the Super Leaf. Fun choices!
> 
> Oh, and it was intentional to suddenly switch to the present perspective during the escape attempt; I wanted there to be a more action feel to Mario's flight, and give a slight sense of, "will they make it?" as the reader went forward. (Of course they would, but in the moment, it was still very breath taking.)
> 
> So, Mario and Red are on their way back to Peach's Castle, which is exactly where Peach and the others are headed! Shortest adventure ever? Hooray! ...Well, not quite. Peach still has a kingdom to restore order to, and Bowser's still very much in control of the other territories. But hey, the heroes almost have their ace back! Bowser may not be quitting, but he's going to have some explaining to do. Whoops.
> 
> But that'll do it for now. Gotta save the intensity. Please let me know what you think of the chapter and the story so far, with a comment or a review! Thanks again for reading!
> 
> PS: McDonald's has a new commercial titled "Archenemies," in which iconic heroes and villains are all getting along to spread love. And there's a brief moment in which Mario and Bowser show up, and Mario presents a potted Piranha Plant that shoots out fire hearts, and Bowser smiles and laughs with him. Now, that's not really meant to be a Bowsario shipping moment, but it totally is. IT'S LEAKED OUT INTO THE WORLD, GUYS. KEEP SHIPPING!


	16. A Hearing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Mario and Red Toad make their way back to Peach's Castle, Bowser stands before the Koopalings to attempt explaining the relationship they recently learned of. Will they remain loyal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who wanted a fallout and feels? Anyone? Everyone? No one? Ok, here we go anyway. (Tried poetry again, ew.)

To tell the truth was facing judgment.

Hiding it seemed like the better option.

Even with everything out and exposed,

You stand half a chance to prove us right.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

The Red Toad and I jump out of the pipe and emerge in a blue cavern, which is darker, yet calmer, than the volcanic Warp Zone we came from. Behind us, a rumble sounds and the orange pipe submerges back into the ground from behind us.

"Well, good to know that we weren't followed," laughs the Red Toad. I silently nod and he pulls out the Magikoopa wand. "Well, let's see if I can find the way out of here," he mumbles and walks about the cave for a moment.

His scepter glows once he approaches a wall opposite to the pipe's location, and mirroring the entrance to the Warp Zone from the Dark Land.

"Guess this is it," calls the Red Toad, and he waves the wand to open the cavern walls. Slowly, the crumble and shift open. We hurriedly stroll outside and the walls behind us close.

Once we've made it out, I squeeze my eyes shut and take a minute to slowly pry them open again. It's much brighter here than it was in Bowser's Castle. After a little bit passes, though, my eyes adjust to the lush green fields around me.

Here, trees are still lively, and they stand tall, proud, as they bask in the sunlight. The air is fresh, crisp, and I'm able to take a heavy breath in and out. A gentle breeze passes by, and the plants waver as it blows through. I can look up and see a bright blue sky again, clear, save maybe some gentle white clouds that help decorate it.

Softly, the Red Toad pats my arm. "It's great to be here, isn't it? I forget how great the Grasslands really are," he observes. "I guess it's because we're usually so busy and it looks so simple by comparison. But, when you stop to take it in, especially now, it's really beautiful."

My agreement is another quiet nod, because I couldn't put it better any other way. And after a little more time passes, he leads me along the path for Peach's Castle.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

Damned be my loose tongue.

It was in the heat of the moment, and for not burying my emotions, I faced eight curious and confused faces. My eyes scanned quickly across them until I lock on to Junior. His small eyes look back to mine and I grinded my teeth behind my lips.

Pain. That's what I caused him.

With just a step forward and my hand raised, he shook his head, pushed past the Koopalings, and ran off, down the hall and into the stairwell. I felt myself turn to follow him, but the Koopalings slid up to block the path.

"Move," I ordered. My temper shot from zero up to eleven in an instant.

"Why should we?" protested Roy. "You got some explaining to do."

"To my son, not to any of you," I snarled.

"Oh, that's not how we work," chuckled Ludwig. "You request us for help and we deliver, so long as we can actually follow you through on these…schemes."

"Listen you little brat," I roared. "If you think for a minute that I won't crush you like the insects that you are—"

"Insects?!" snapped Wendy. "Excuse you, King Bowser, but we've done far too much for you to earn that disgraceful slur."

"Far too much?! Please!" I bellowed. "I practically raised you rotten twerps! Everything you know? You owe that to me! As for your sorry excuses for help, look where we are! I am losing yet another war!"

"Those are your tactics failing, not ours," Larry insisted.

"With that attitude, it's no wonder that we fail every damn blasted time!" my voice thundered across the hall. "You pests think that you don't need to contribute to every last effort, but look where you are! My castle! You want to keep calling this place your home?!"

"We don't actually call it home," interjected Iggy.

"It's not on us that we don't agree with your plans all of the time," added Lemmy. "Sometimes your ideas are too crazy even for us."

"This teeters on treason," Kamek contested.

"No it doesn't," Ludwig challenged. "We have every right to know our king's activities and the choice to follow his plans accordingly."

"Like hell! This isn't a democracy!" I rang out again.

"Well, we're not exactly your soldiers," Morton explained. "We chose to be here."

"He's right," added Wendy. "You want to call us out for lack of support, fine. But you call on us for help. You helped train us, fine. But we are not your children."

They're not.

Her words are left in the air and I hold a glare over all seven Koopalings. For years, I have taken them in, kept and treated them above most of my army, but they have never been my kids. Constantly, they're mistaken for such, but we usually shook it off.

After all of this time…were they really so unattached to me?

…Did I deserve their loyalty?

"Bowser," Kamek interrupted my thoughts.

"Are you truly going to keep me from my son?" I questioned the Koopalings, and still shifted my eye contact around each one of them.

"We need to discuss this ourselves," persisted Larry. "You can console your son later."

I was about ready to spit out a fireball at him, but Kamek rested his hand on my arm. "I'll go check on the prince." Slowly, I nodded and the Magikoopa walked up to the Koopaling barricade.

"Oh no," Roy guarded the path. "You're coming with us too."

Kamek laughed. "Little Koopaling, your King is being most merciful by not sending all seven of you through the walls already." And with the wave of his wand, he slid Roy into Iggy and Lemmy, and calmly strolled away.

What was stopping me from doing the same? They're high ranking amongst the Koopa Troop, but why was I letting them impede me from taking care of my son?

"What now?" Lemmy asked as he pulled himself away from Roy and Iggy.

Ludwig stared at me, and I noticed that his eyes were wavering. He's thinking, carefully planning. "Shall we go to the Council Chamber?" he finally suggested.

His six siblings nodded in agreement and then turned to me. Slowly, I nodded as well.

"Larry, lead the way," ordered Wendy, and her younger brother complied. Soon, the rest of us followed, with the Koopalings wisely keeping me in the middle.

And as we made our way to the pipe and the lower levels, I realized that I might actually want to be kept from Junior right now. It disgusted me, but I was worried about seeing him. What would I tell him? What could I do to help him understand? Junior's younger than these brats; he's too confused right now, to deal with me or to be left alone.

As we reach the Council Chamber, I wonder just how lost the Koopalings are. They may be older than Junior, but they're quite young as well.

Larry ushered the group to the back of the room, and the seven of them were seated at the raised semi-circle table. I stood before them, at the center of the table.

What do you know? Judgment Day for the Koopa King has arrived.

"Great, you're all in a circle and propped above me," I mocked. "Feeling powerful yet?"

"Not really," admitted Lemmy, who quickly earned scornful looks from his siblings and sank down into his seat.

A minute passed and I looked around the table. Morton sat on my left, Roy on the far right. Next to Morton was Larry, who tapped at the table. Iggy fiddled with a small gray device next to him. Lemmy pulled himself back up, and waited to see if Roy would try to hit him. In the middle, Wendy held a mirror and applied more lipstick, to which Ludwig rolled his eyes.

"So, uh," piped up Roy and suddenly everyone's gaze shifted to him. "How did you guys, um, start?"

My hand clawed through my hair. "Well, we went to kidnap Peach at first—"

"He means the relationship," disrupted Ludwig. "Stay on topic."

"Look, I don't need to deal with any of your little shenanigans," I threatened. "I'm still your King, like it or not. You will treat me with more respect than that!"

Ludwig folded his arms and sat back. I waited for one of the others to jump to his defense, but they sat in silence.

"All right," I consented. "The start of it. I, uh, initiated the discussions between us. Or he did, when I had him in the dungeons and he requested to see me, but I actually went to him, so that's technically on me…" I looked up to see the lowered eyes and bored expressions of the Koopalings. "What? You wanted to know."

"You can give us a bit of an abridged version," advised Wendy.

"Fine," I grunted, a little miffed. Still, I cleared my throat and continued. "So, I told the guards to leave, he pestered me with questions and threats that led up to him asking why I take Peach. And then he asked if I loved her, to which I told him that I didn't."

"Wait, you don't?" asked Larry, who had the Koopalings glare in his direction.

"No. She's just in the way," I clarified. "If I were to marry her, it would be to take over her kingdom by an alternate method than force, not because I actually love her. The whole idea that I did like her was some foolish rumor that the Toads probably pitched while they pondered why I kidnap the princess. That idea spread here, the Koopa Troop kicked it around, and suddenly the rumor was assumed to be a fact. So, I just went with it for simplicity's sake. It was a charade, but served purpose in inspiring morale and ceased questions."

"Huh," pondered Wendy. "That's a little disappointing to hear."

"Tough, it's the truth," I shrugged and continued. "Mario wasn't exactly my, what's it called, 'one true love,' or whatever that love at first sight crap is labeled. But he kept showing up, we fought continuously, suddenly we started playing sports and going to parties together, and over time, I realized that I was actually attracted to him."

"I take it back, that's adorable," squealed Wendy.

"How exactly is fighting each other and then developing an attraction adorable?" questioned Iggy.

"Sparks fly," defended Wendy. "Don't question the rhymes and rhythms of the heart, my brother, just go with it!"

"Wendy, you need to calm down," murmured Ludwig, to which Wendy smacked the backside of his head and Ludwig knocked into the table.

"Keep going," Roy insisted to me. "The thing in the dungeon…?"

"Right, yes," I nodded and felt my face burn. "Well, he, uh, wanted to know more, but I left him with that. Um, the next time, I had him hauled up to the east tower for a message to send to Peach, and we…talked. Argued, really. Eventually, I hit a breaking point, went berserk on him, and questioned his reasons for everything. I suggested Peach; he denied feelings for her, while also confessing that he was interested in someone else. And then I pinned him down to that until he told me the truth, which fortunately enough, was that he loved me too." I paused as the Koopalings continued to listen and watch me. Some sweat dripped down from my head and palms, but brushed it off off. "So, uh, I told him that I felt the same, explained that he was my reason for everything, and uh…we hooked up after that?"

"How romantic," deadpanned Larry.

"Isn't it?!" cooed Wendy excitedly.

"Wendy, you are too into this," noted Morton. Wendy slid off a golden ring, spiked it off of Morton's head, and caught it as it whizzed back to her.

"Continue," persisted Ludwig.

"Well, that's kind of it," I folded my arms together. "Unless you want me to talk about moving him to the room next to me to keep him close, the time you lot caught me coming back from a date with him on the roof—"

"You had a roof date?" asked Iggy.

"Uh…yes?"

"That is pretty romantic," he agreed. The other six gave him quizzical looks. "What? Only Wendy can like mushy stuff?" A series of shrugs were exchanged and their attention returned to me.

"Ah, after that was the rebellion," I recalled. "I didn't want him killed, for obvious reasons to you now, he had some nightmares and looked them up, I had him sleep in my room—"

A few of the Koopalings snickered while Wendy clapped her hands together excitedly.

"Not like that!" my face burned as I protested. "Look, that's practically everything, up to the point where he ran off and you heard my outburst." I coughed up a puff of smoke and waved it away. "Good enough, or do you need more?"

"More please!" cried out Wendy, to which her brothers shook their heads. "Fine, that's enough then," she reluctantly relented and tapped at her red necklace.

"Ok…now what?" I asked.

The Koopalings exchanged expressions with one another for a moment. Then, Ludwig sat up in his seat.

"We'll decide where we go from here like we usually do," he announced. "We vote on supporting Bowser or going against these plans. Anyone disagree or think we should do otherwise?" They whispered to one another, but ceased upon finding no disagreements. "All right, we'll take a minute, then start with Morton, and work our way down."

"Do you really need me here for this?" I objected. "You vote in favor of me, you stay around the castle. You go against, you leave. Why do I need to stay?"

"Because we have a slightly sadistic side in which we enjoy watching anyone squirm, you included," blurted Lemmy. This time, Roy punched him over the head.

"Because we've kept you long enough, so just see it through," proposed Ludwig. My eyes lowered, but I nodded; I was curious.

A few whispers went back and forth down the line as the Koopalings bickered with their opinions to one another. I walked back over to the long table and leaned against it, as I impatiently waited for them to finish.

"Morton? You ready?" requested Iggy.

"I guess so," mumbled Morton, and his hand circled around the table, with one nail scratching a circle shape. He waited and looked up to find the Koopalings watch as they waited on him. "Um…I'm for helping Bowser out still," he decided. "He hasn't really done anything against us." I felt a small smile come up on my face; it was nice to have a positive lead off, and I was pleasantly surprised by Morton's choice.

"True, but this goes against every basic principle we've been taught," Larry argued. "Mario and his friends were always the enemy. I'm against working under those conditions." My smile dropped away and my eyebrows lowered. "Iggy?"

"Against, but only because can't really think of what else I can work on without war," Iggy explained.

"Couldn't you work on anything else?" questioned Morton.

"But my mindset is geared toward war right now!" griped Iggy. "It's hard to suddenly stop those thought processes and switch over to…to…well, whatever else!"

"You do realize we'll still be at war if we side with Bowser, right?" inquired Larry.

"Uh…oops."

"Leave it to the tech genius to over calculate himself," teased Lemmy.

"All right, all right, come on," broke in Ludwig. "Wendy?"

"You boys are joking, right? Definitely for!" cheered Wendy. "This is the cutest thing ever, as odd as it seems!" I held back a laugh, but couldn't help a bigger smile from returning to my face.

It dropped away quickly, however, when Ludwig rose up. "I'm against. Not only does Larry have a point, but also this is hardly a conducive situation at this point. What would we do now? Kidnap Mario?" The Koopalings looked from him to me, and I shrugged at the notion, but kept the idea buried in my mind.

"You're just trying to make yourself seem more important than you really are," huffed Wendy. Ludwig slammed his hands down on the table, but froze as we watched the other as Koopalings nodded in accord.

"Fine, you got me, whatever," Ludwig waved his hand about. "Lemmy?"

The smallest Koopaling pondered for another moment. "Well, it's kind of funny, and I like funny, so for!"

Larry and Morton nodded while Wendy, Iggy, and Ludwig shook their heads. Not my favorite decision, but so long as Lemmy sided with me, I'd graciously take it.

And then, Lemmy turned to his left, my right, "Guess that leaves you, Roy."

Damn it, him, and everything else. Roy would have the final decision on whether or not the Koopalings would continue to help me? _Roy?_

My eyes lined up with him as he leered and watched at me from behind his sunglasses. I squeezed my eyes shut and just listened.

"For."

Wait. What?! My eyes fluttered open.

"All right, that's the end of it," Ludwig murmured. "King Bowser, we apologize for monopolizing your time. Thank you for sharing with us."

My mouth dropped open and I gawked as the Koopalings slowly rose from their seats and hurriedly shuffled from the Council Chamber. Roy was the slowest, almost as if he waited for me.

"You standing there all day or getting back to your kid?" he questioned.

Honestly, I did want to tear away from that room as soon as possible, but I needed to understand this.

"Roy, I'm grateful, but…" What was I supposed to finish with? _You're the biggest bully of your siblings, why in all the kingdoms would you pick to keep working with me?_ That would certainly show appreciation.

The purple shelled Koopaling kicked at the floor and waited for me to continue. When I didn't, he started up. "I, uh, I don't really get everything that's been going on. I mean, you explained stuff, but…it still hasn't, I don't know, processed for me," he admitted.

"Then why…?"

He picked at his red-framed sunglasses. "Because, um, I like working for you. And even I don't totally get everything, I can follow enough to get that you're really into what you're fighting for." His hand shook as he slid off his sunglasses.

My eyebrows raised as I gazed at his dark blue eyes, the median between the brighter blue eyes of one half of his siblings and the darker, black eyes of the other half. "Why would you ever hide those?" I couldn't help but ask.

"I…we hide a lot of stuff," confessed the pink-faced Koopaling. His eyes met mine and I was honestly awed by how beautiful they were. "Like, uh, I don't really know how much the others agree with me on this, and I guess I can't really speak for them, but, um, I…I like to think we like you as a dad, or a fill-in dad. Whatever."

Without hesitation, I reached down and pulled him into a firm hug. I couldn't believe that it took until now for me to realize how much these seven meant to me, but that somehow stayed present in at least Roy's mind. Leave it to him to make me want to eat my thoughts from just a few minutes ago.

Roy shuddered a bit and I pulled back to see water line behind his eyes. He hastily brushed his arm over his eyes and placed his sunglasses back over them.

"D-Don't tell anyone about any of this," he snapped. More softly, quietly, he added, "Please."

"Not a chance," I whispered and rubbed the kid on his head.

"Thanks." He sniffled and rubbed his arm across his face. "W-Well? What are you waiting for? Go find your kid already."

"Right." I nodded and rushed out of the room, as I left Roy to his thoughts and began to hunt down Junior.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

We've nearly made it back to the castle, but there's still a little ways to go. And along the straightforward path, there are stragglers from Bowser's army that pop out from their hiding places, looking for a fight.

"Yikes, they're everywhere and relentless," quipped the Red Toad.

"Just keep moving," I ushered him to press on, but a Koopa slid out and blocked our path.

"Hold it right there, Mario!" the red-shelled Koopa Troopa halted us and raised his hand. "I have orders from King Bowser to take you back."

"Great to know, but I'm not going back," I told him.

He opened his mouth to argue, but before I could further my reasoning with him, the Red Toad jumped from the side and slammed the Koopa down into his shell.

Quickly, the Toad kicked the shell out of our path and beckoned me to follow him along once again.

"Mario, what are you doing?" he questioned as we ran again.

"I…I just can't do it." There was no way for me to explain the guilt I felt over it now.

We slowed to a brief stop. He patted my arm again. Understanding?

"Don't worry Mario, I get it," he soothed. "You're always pulling through on your journeys, but I'm sure even you get worn out." No, he's clueless. "Leave the enemies to me! You just keep back and recharge your energy, ok?"

Quietly, I glanced at the Toad's reassuring smile and reflected it to him with a nod.

With another start, we raced to a hill, climbed up it, and slid down along the other side. We jumped up and ran until—

"There! There it is!" the Red Toad cried and excitedly pointed to Peach's Castle in the distance. "Come on, Mario! We're home free!"

A green-shelled Paratroopa swooped down from the sky and I shoved the Toad down to the ground. We bounced back up as it flew back into the sky.

Not waiting for a second strike, the Toad rushed up the hill and leapt up. He stomped down on the Paratroopa's wings and knocked it from the sky.

With a flip, he ground pounded the Troopa back into its shell, which promptly rocketed away.

"Ugh, I've had enough of these guys!" complained the Red Toad as we broke back into a run.

There were no more enemies after that. The flashes of green plains swirled into gray, yellow, and red colors as we zipped through Toad Town, with some confused murmurs from those who hadn't quite seen us and delighted cheers from others that had.

The Toad and I slowed our pace as we hurried across the bridge and up to the castle courtyard. We panted and I gazed ahead to see several Toads, Peach, Luigi, and Yoshi walk up to the castle doors.

They turned upon hearing us trudge in, and Yoshi darted over and tackled me to the ground.

"Mario! You're back! You're ok!" he cheered and tightly wrapped his arms around me.

"Yoshi! It's good to see you," I laughed and hugged him back. I paused and pushed him off for a second. "Wait, you can speak our language?"

"Peach helped," Yoshi answered and went back to his tight clasp.

I patted him and looked past to see the four Toads run over to Red Toad, and all of them cheered, danced around and about, each one stopped a moment to give him a strong hug and congratulatory pats on the back.

"Oh Mario!" cried Princess Peach.

Yoshi let go and pulled us both up from the ground. He moved away as Peach let a golden rod drop to the ground and ran up to hug me herself. It wasn't as tight as Yoshi's iron grip, but she held tightly against me as I raised my arms to hug her back.

"It's nice to see you again, Princess," I whispered. Her messy blonde hair surrounded my vision almost completely.

"Mario, I'm so sorry you had to deal with that," she apologized. "It must have been a nightmare for you to deal with! I only wish we could have gotten you out sooner."

"Come on, Peach," I soothed. "You deal with that all of the time. Besides, it wasn't so bad." She pulled back and gave me a quizzical look. "Well, it was bad, but not awful," I corrected myself.

A smile burst onto Peach's face and she kissed my cheek. "Come on, your brother missed you terribly," she guided me over to the castle door, where Luigi patiently waited.

Only…I caught a glimpse of his eyes. Lowered. He frowned. And it looked, appeared, as if he were…as if he studied me.

"Breathe, Luigi," Peach laughed. "He's back. Mario's back."

"Hey bro," I raised my arms out and waited a moment. Luigi slowly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me as I closed mine around him.

"Glad you're back," Luigi whispered to me. "But…we need to talk."

My head jerked up as he pulled away and carefully looked me in the eyes. He walked away and I continued to stare, even as Peach gently rubbed my back and Yoshi strolled back up to me, and wrapped his arms around one of mine.

Toadsworth emerged from the castle door and his face lit up as he caught each of us in his sight. "Oh, thank the Stars! Master Mario has returned!" he cried out. "And Princess Peach has returned with her retinue as well! Splendid! And perfect timing too." He shook my hand and bowed to Peach. "Princess, you have a special guest waiting for you inside."

Peach nodded and turned as the Purple Toad returned her wand. She took it and followed Toadsworth inside, with the parade of Toads chasing them in. Luigi glanced at me once more before joining them. Had Yoshi not tugged me forward, I might not have moved from that spot.

Even as I walked past the door and into the golden and pink castle halls, my heart slowly sank and I felt an empty pain stir inside me.

* * *

 

Knights against dragons are old stories.

Newer ones are deeper, more complex.

Only you can choose to accept changes,

What stands between us will never die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Many. Feels. Oh, and surprise, those weird…poetic things or whatever…yeah, they came back. Big shocker. Actually, I did save them up for this chapter.
> 
> But hooray, Bowser was persecuted by the Koopalings, which ended in his favor, surprisingly for him! (Like I was ever going to drop them from the story! Ha! …Don't look at me like that, it reeks of suspicion.) And Roy! I was so happy to use him as the deciding factor! I think the only Koopaling that hasn't really been focused on a lot is…Morton. …Why is it always Morton?
> 
> And yay, Red Toad is a vicious little fellow as he stomps first, questions later. So fun! Oh, and Mario came home and stuff. With warm hugs all around, except on Luigi's part, which was notably colder. That too.
> 
> Now, Bowser still needs to talk to Junior, and Mario to Luigi. Set-up for parallels? Did I actually just? (Yes, yes I did.) And just who is this special guest star in Peach's Castle? The newcomer will join in next chapter, along with all of the additional drama to unfold.
> 
> Let me know what you're thinking so far, just send me a review or message, comments and criticisms welcome! Thank you once again for reading!


	17. A Fallout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario's friends welcome him back to Peach's Castle, where a new visitor has also recently arrived. However, Luigi soon pulls his brother aside for an overdue chat. Meanwhile, Bowser does his best to win back Junior's love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and welcome back to the Feels Festival! Today's special event stars a back and forth spectacular between both Mario and Bowser, featuring Luigi and Bowser Junior! Plus, we'll have a few special guest stars join in on all of the other drama! You may or may not need some tissues! So, clear some time, and enjoy the chaos unfold! (No really, this is another long chapter, so read it when you've got some time.)

**[Mario]**

We made our way to Peach's Throne Room, where Toadsworth led us to a familiar bright face in an orange and yellow dress that turned from a window to greet us.

"Peach, hey!" greeted Princess Daisy and she hurried over a bit before she stopped short. Her delighted smile switched to a visibly confused expression. "I…wait. Mario? You're back already?"

"Yep," I breathed out. "Special thanks to the most successful rescue attempt we've ever had."

"Rescue? Who—?"

The Red Toad cleared his throat and proudly placed his hands on his hips.

"You? That's really impressive!" Daisy congratulated.

"Aw, thank you, Princess Daisy," the Red Toad giggled.

Peach walked up to Daisy and hugged her lightly. "It's nice to have you here." She then let go and studied the other princess. "So, what brings you here, Daisy?"

"Well, here I thought I was going to help you out," Daisy explained and gazed over each of us. "But, I guess I'm a little late to the party."

"As per usual," Peach sighed. "But it was a nice effort."

Daisy raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" Uh-oh.

"Well, our kingdoms are meant to share an alliance," explained Peach. "Yet, whenever I find myself kidnapped, or threatened, Sarasaland is never at my defense, nor the defense of my kingdom. So—"

"Wow, hold up," Daisy interrupted. "One, my kingdom has its own issues to resolve on a regular basis. Two, you're the one that gets kidnapped so often, and we can't help that. Three, we support you whenever there are some kind of sporting events that you need multiple kingdom representation to attract more publicity."

Princess Peach shook her head. "That last one barely holds any weight and you know it. The first one is a strong argument; I'll give you that. But my getting kidnapped is either so frequent that you can't be busy for every single occurrence, or not all that common after all, in which case you should be more supportive."

"Oh no, you listen—" Daisy started again, but glanced down at Peach's hand. "Wait, is that your Royal Scepter?"

Peach shifted her attention down at the rod and back to Daisy again. "Yes, why?"

"That thing shouldn't be out, Peach," Daisy chastised. "Have you been using it the whole time? You know what it costs!"

"I do, and it's worth it," Peach answered curtly. "I'm beyond exhausted of leaving my people to worry about their princess and the state of this kingdom. I'm through with having it taken over and run to the ground until I have to rebuild it back again." Peach hoisted the wand up. "This time, no holding back."

Daisy shook her head. "Peach, that's still not the right way to go about this."

"I've already tried that," muttered Toadsworth.

Peach folded her arms and looked away. Still, Daisy persisted. "You do realize that it messing with your emotions is only the first—"

"You don't need to go over them, I know what I'm doing," huffed Peach, and visibly became more angry at Daisy.

"Did you at least think about any precautions or countermeasures?" asked Daisy. "I think you should at least—"

"Will you quit babying me?!" snapped Peach.

Now Daisy became more annoyed. "Well, apparently someone has to, since…!" She suddenly trailed off and her aggravated face became fearful.

"Since they're not here," Peach finished for her. "Yes, I understood that."

"Oh, no, Peach, I didn't mean—"

"No, of course you didn't," Peach tersely broke in. "So, if you'll all excuse me—"

"Please, Peach," Daisy grabbed Peach's hands into her own. "I'm sorry."

"Don't—"

"I'm here to help, not argue!" Daisy fired out. "Do you want me here or not?"

Both princesses stared one another down. Peach pursed her lips together, still visibly agitated, but nodded slowly.

"Ok, then…let's…" Daisy trailed off to think a bit. "Let's go to your room and devise some strategies. Just us, how about it?"

Again, Peach nodded, but she took a second to glance at me. She took her arms from Daisy and walked over to me.

She stared into my eyes and asked, "Will you be all right, Mario?"

My eyes met hers and I nodded. "Don't worry about me, Peach. I'll be fine."

"You still need some rest," Peach analyzed. "At least don't do anything strenuous while you're here. Go somewhere quiet where you won't deal with…well, everyone."

"I'll keep him in a guest room," Luigi offered. Suddenly, I felt the need to run off anywhere else, even if that meant getting swarmed by concerned Toads from all around.

Peach nodded. "Good, you watch over him, Luigi." She turned to her steward. "Toadsworth, get a heavy meal prepared for everyone, but go ahead and serve Yoshi first. He'll probably eat for a while. And make sure the Toads get a great helping too, for all of their hardwork."

Yoshi and the five Toads cheered over Toadsworth's sigh. He led the group off to the Dining Hall while Peach and Daisy made their way upstairs. Luigi took me from the Throne Room and guided me to one of the guest rooms.

"So, we're having that talk now?" I inquired.

"As soon as we're alone, yes," answered Luigi.

His voice sounded so leveled, controlled…serious. I felt a lump in my throat and swallowed hard.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

Hastily, I barged into Kamek's Study. The old Magikoopa jumped backwards as the door slammed open, tripped over his blue robe, and crashed into the nearest stack of books.

"Uh…" was all that came out of me at first. After an awkward pause, I added, "Sorry."

"I should hope so!" screeched Kamek. "Since you were a child, I don't know how many times I've specifically asked you not to slam doors open on me!"

Quickly, I placed my hands over my mouth and suppressed a fit of laughter from bubbling out. This intrusion wasn't for my amusement.

"Kamek," I composed myself, "where is my son?"

"His room," Kamek solemnly answered, "and he specifically requested to not be disturbed by anyone."

"Not to…? Tough!" I snapped. "I'm his father and the king! He'll deal with me whether he wants to or not!"

The Magikoopa sighed. "If you walk in with that attitude, you'll certainly push him further away."

My scowl lowered. "Well…I need to talk to him."

"So go do it," advised Kamek. "But don't be a blowhard or hotheaded about it. He doesn't understand and needs you to go about this gently."

"I'm…pretty bad at gentle," I admitted.

Kamek shook his head. "No, you just don't like acting that way because you think it's weak. You need to show some vulnerability, at least to your son."

He stared at me through his spectacles as I clawed through my hair.

"You're right," I relented. "And I hate when you're right."

"Then you must be filled with a lot of hatred, huh?" prodded Kamek. I answered with a fist over his head and stomped out as he sank against his books on the floor.

Even though I felt the heated floor against my feet as I cross the bridge, then the cool stones as I entered the staircase to the pipe, I couldn't stay too focused on anything. A few things kept nagging at me repeatedly:

How was I going to get Junior to listen to me?

What was I going to tell Junior?

Could he really understand what I felt about Mario?

When will I be able to get Mario back?

Why do I keep asking myself questions that I can't immediately answer?

With a growl of frustration, I bashed open the nearest door and found myself in the hallway to our bedrooms.

_Calm down, Bowser; just take it one step at a time._

Slowly, I trudged over to my son's door and knocked, not as roughly as he'd probably expect from his gruff father.

"Junior? It's me," I called.

"Go away!" He yelled out, in a voice that had a painful mixture of sorrow and anger. "I don't want to talk to liars."

"Son, please—"

"Just leave me alone!"

"I…I can't do that, Junior."

"Yes, you can," he snapped. "That's how you kept everything else to yourself!"

My teeth grinded together and I held my tongue. I hate it when people call me out on my screw-ups.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

Luigi pulled the door shut behind him, quickly, quietly. I glanced around the guest bedroom quickly; red curtains and carpet, blue bed sheets, white closets and desks, nothing too spectacular, save for a nice window, but nothing too great, for a castle room. My brother turned to me and folded his arms together. His eyes were lowered and he already wore a frown.

"Can you explain to me what this is about?" I blurted out.

"Well, to start, you lied to me," murmured Luigi.

My eyebrows shot up. "Lied? About what?"

"I'm not exactly sure where it begins," sighed Luigi. "Were you actually kidnapped?"

"What?"

"Mario, don't make me repeat myself," Luigi groaned.

"Yes, Luigi, I was really taken by Bowser," I snapped, and felt a burning temper flare up. "Why would you accuse me of otherwise? Did you think I wanted to be taken away from everyone and forced to be a prisoner?"

He shook his head. "Not exactly that, but something along those lines."

"Did you hit your head recently?" I questioned, flabbergasted at where this conversation already went.

"No…wait, yes, actually," he admitted. "That, however, has nothing to do with this…"

Luigi dug around his overalls and pulled out a piece of paper, slightly torn, clearly wrinkled, and visibly aged a bit.

"And what's that rubbish?" I spat out.

The paper was abruptly thrust in front of my face. "Here, let me know when you recognize it."

My hand snatched the paper as I glared up at Luigi, while he stared back nonchalantly. It took maybe a second to register my handwriting, but another minute to…

No. It was the love letter.

"W…Where did you get this?" I demanded.

Looking at him now, his eyes were more alert, focused. "Remember when you were kidnapped?" he asked me. "That's all I found afterwards. And for a while, I assumed it was just some nonsense you wanted to read and rally the Toad Town citizens." He took in a deep breath through his nose and slowly exhaled through his mouth. "Imagine," his voice wavered with a mix of sorrow and anger, "my great surprise, when I finally did manage to read it."

I was at a loss for words. "Luigi…"

"No," he curtly stopped me. "No, this doesn't get to suddenly get washed away. Explain that to me." When I didn't answer right away, he snapped, "Mario, tell me the meaning of that letter."

"It's exactly what it is," I fired back. He pulled his gloved hand over his face and left it covering his mouth as he turned away from me. "What are you looking for? What do you want from this?"

"To understand it, for starters," he spun back around to face me, his voice barely containing a wave of rage. "Mario, do you even realize the idea of it?"

"I should, I wrote it—"

"No, no, you don't get it," he interrupted, and his voice rose. "You are meant to be the hero of this kingdom, of the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser is the enemy. He's not some misunderstood creature, some unfortunate monster that's down on his luck."

"How would you even know? Were you kidnapped recently?"

"Mario, that wretched beast is not a thing you can find compassion for," he darkly laid out for me. "You cannot feel love for a freak that terrorizes people you defend, that tries to destroy innocent lives!"

"You don't understand," I retaliated. "He does stupid things for…we're not that much better! Luigi, we've murdered—"

"We fought back against monsters that wouldn't give us a choice, Mario!" he thundered. "We are protecting people, not enslaving them! We are in the right!"

"Are we?"

"You did not seriously just ask me that."

"And what if I did?" I questioned.

Luigi massaged the temples of his head. "Then we're going to be here a while."

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

I sat quietly in my room and waited. After the first ten minutes, I stopped counting. My hand gently brushed over the bed and slid near the pillow where he had slept.

How the hell could someone turn a sanctuary like your room into a mental prison?

A series of knocks rapped against my door. Before I could rise and open it, the Koopalings poured in through it and fell into a heap on top of one another as they crashed to the ground.

"Idiots," snapped Ludwig. "I told you I was knocking."

"Yeah, well, who wanted you to play leader anyway?" countered Roy.

"Oh, will you two please stop arguing already?" moaned Wendy.

"What's the meaning of this?" I boomed. "Get in here and shut the door!"

The seven scrambled and dragged themselves inside, and Larry kicked the door shut. They stood up and gazed at me.

"Uh, you did call us here," reaffirmed Larry. "What did you want?"

"You seven held me up earlier," I blamed, to which the Koopalings looked to protest, but noting my glare, they ultimately remained quiet. "So, you twerps are going to help me get back in my son's good graces."

The seven exchanged glances with one another. "Are you really asking us that? And are sure you want us to help out with that?" questioned Lemmy.

"Yes. Not too long ago, you were on an assignment with my son, correct?" I recalled. "And he works fairly closely with all of you. If anyone was able to help me right now, at least one of you should be the best one for it."

Again, they faced one another. With a closer look, I noted an uncertainty in their eyes.

"We're…um, not really sure what to do," Iggy admitted.

"Well, you better get sure and get busy coming up with a way to help me!" I ordered.

The Koopalings huddled together and began shooting whispers back and forth with one another. Just before I could lean in to listen better, they pulled away from one another and turned to me again.

"Ok, how about you go over there, knock on his door, act like there's an emergency, and then that'll force him out," suggested Lemmy.

"…Is that seriously the best you've got?" I questioned, not hiding my disappointment.

"It's the first and fastest idea, just try it," recommended Wendy.

With an exasperated sigh, I relented, "Fine."

They pulled the door open for me and sent me across the hall. It just dawned on me that I had no idea what kind of emergency I would act out. Without much thought, I quickly pounded on Junior's door.

"Junior, come out, quick!" I shouted. "We've got trouble—"

"No we don't, I would have heard someone come running to tell you," replied Junior quickly.

"Ah…I, uh, noticed first?"

"Papa, go away."

And with a heavier sigh, I slumped my shoulders and hauled myself back to the Koopalings in my room.

"That was such a stupid idea," I grumbled.

"Well, give us a few shots," suggested Ludwig. "We're just getting started."

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

Luigi continued to pace around the room, and still pondered over my responses to my letter. I had flopped over onto the bed, and alternated between squeezing and punching a pillow.

"So, you and the Toad just…jumped from the roof and flew off?"

"Yes, Luigi, yes," came my annoyed answer. "We knew where we needed to go."

"Neither of you even thought about the idea that they'd fire cannonballs at you?" he asked again, thoroughly unconvinced.

"No, we were thinking about getting shot down and wanted to experience the fall," I retorted.

"Mario."

I threw my hands up. "What?! We wanted to escape with one of the fastest routes we could use! That's what we came up with! And no, I didn't want to be captured again, I wanted that Toad to get out of the castle."

"The Toad," he repeated, "and what about you?"

"Sure, I wanted to get out too, but the Toad's life was more important," I insisted. "If they had found him, he wouldn't have made it back here."

"Fair enough," Luigi relented. "It just seemed like a really stupid plan."

"It's called spontaneous, ok?" I snapped.

"Right, impulsive," Luigi continued. "Kind of like your feelings toward Bowser."

"Oh, for the love of—"

"Seriously, you think he loved you?" Luigi almost laughed at his dispute.

"Think nothing, he outright confessed to me," I blurted out.

"Yeah, after you did, got it," he double-checked. "And yet, he still kept you locked up in that room."

"He got me out of the dungeon," I muttered.

"Were you still locked up?"

"…Yes."

"Then that's not really an improvement, is it?"

"Damn it, Luigi," I barked. "He was just starting to think of different ideas and that's what he came up with first!"

"If that's how you want to look at it," Luigi shrugged.

"How do you want me to look at it?" I countered.

"Realistically," came his flat and stubborn response.

Still annoyed, I lobbed the beaten pillow at his head. He glared at me while I reached for the next one and pounded away again.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

Morton crept up to Junior's door. He looked back at the rest of us while we waited a little way down the hall. Wendy waved her arms to urge him forward, to which he nodded and knocked on Junior's door.

"Excuse me, sir?" I whirled around and peered down at a gray-shelled Buzzy Beetle. "Glaucus, sir. I was wondering if you—"

"Hush," I quieted him. "Not now."

"Oh, right," he observed. "I'll come back later." And he crawled away.

"Package delivery," called Morton in a higher pitched voice. "Got something for a Prince Bowser Junior."

"Morton, I know that's you," I heard Junior deadpan.

"W-Who's Morton?" Morton tried to uphold his charade. "I'm a delivery Koopa."

"Ok, delivery Koopa," challenged Junior. "Why are you personally bringing me that package, without the rest of my mail, when it's usually brought to me by another servant completely?"

"…Uh…he's sick?"

"Morton, just give up already," sighed Junior.

The Koopaling hesitated and turned back to us. A few Koopalings sighed and Iggy took off his glasses to pinch his forehead. I waved Morton back over and he slowly came back to us.

"Delivery Koopa?" asked Ludwig. "That was your best?"

"Hey, it beat the lunch delivery idea!" argued Morton. "This was more realistic!"

"That was brilliant, and you know it!" defended Iggy. "Roy just screwed it up."

"Hey now, how's that my fault?" contended Roy. "Lemmy's the one that let out a burp and screwed the plan."

"It just came up, ok?!" cried Lemmy. "It's Wendy's fault for shoving soda down my throat earlier!"

"Sorry, that was just me trying to get him to _laugh_ ," hissed Wendy. "It was better than Larry's scheme to guilt him back outside!"

"I wanted him to open the door already!" snapped Larry. "Not like Ludwig's plan to trick him into thinking he forgot something was going to work."

"Oh, so now it's my fault again?"

"When isn't it your fault?"

"Uh, how about when it's yours?"

"All of you are too dense for these things."

"Hey, I don't see you having any more luck than us!"

"At least we're trying! Unlike some people…"

"What makes you think I'm not?!"

My eyes lowered and I slouched as the seven continued to bicker and banter with one another. I had already yelled at them to stop arguing four times before and was just too fed up with it to bother trying again.

Instead, I marched back over to Junior's door and knocked.

"Junior, it's me again," I called in.

"Tell the Koopalings to get lost already," he ordered.

"They're…not exactly listening, right now," I clarified. "Or can't you hear their argument?"

"No, I hear it."

A chuckle escaped from me. I glanced over to see the Koopalings still arguing with one another and leaned my hand against my son's door.

"Um, Junior? I'd really like to talk to you." My voice sounded hollower than I cared to let out, but I had grown desperate.

"Why?"

"Because you're my son," I persisted. "Because I love you, and I did a really brainless thing by not telling you the truth."

"Yeah, you did," even his few words were like daggers.

"Son, please," I begged. "Can't you just…give your Papa a chance?"

For a minute, I waited and only heard the Koopalings as they continued their squabble. Then, I heard a faint click from the door. Gently, I turned the handle and opened it.

Junior sat on his bed, with his legs huddled against his body and his bright green blanket wrapped around his back. As I moved in closer, I winced at the tear stained pillow. I'm certainly not the Kingdom's Greatest Father material, but this just made my heart sink further into my stomach.

Quietly, I sat next to him on his bed. "Hey."

"H-Hey," he sniffled.

"Thanks for letting me in." He only nodded softly. I took in some air and exhaled a heavy breath. "Your Papa's pretty dumb, you know that?"

"I learned," he coughed and I bit my cheek.

We sat together in silence, with only the Koopalings yelling outside in the hall to make up for our lack of discussion.

"Why didn't you tell me?" came Junior's sudden question.

"Honestly, I'm not really sure," I confessed. "It happened so quickly, and everything I did felt spontaneous. And I was…scared of how you might react. Last time, I had you believe Peach was your mother; I didn't want to bewilder you again. Really, I did plan on telling you, and I almost did a few times. It's just…I didn't want you to feel so confused or hate me. But now, that's what I ended up doing anyway."

He didn't answer me, and I watched him as he blankly stared at the floor. I inhaled again, but the breath came out choppy. Tears sat in my eyes and I shivered.

"The only thing I'm getting good at is pushing everyone away," my voice broke.

"That's not true, Papa," I heard Junior disagree.

"Isn't it?" I choke out. "I lied to you and pushed you away, I've been losing touch with the majority of my troops and my kingdom, I did something wrong to make Mario leave, and I just don't know what to do anymore." And the last of that line echoed repeatedly in my head as I shook it, in an attempt to get the tears to stop sliding.

Junior took my hand into his. "Papa," he started and I hastily brushed away at my face. "It's ok, Papa."

"No, it's really not, Junior. You deserve better." I watched him as he gazed back into my eyes. I felt uncomfortably weak in front of my own son, and that's the last thing I should be for him.

Still, he shook his head. "There isn't anyone better than you, Papa. You're all I have. And that's ok." I heaved a bit and he patted my hand. "I don't really understand what you want to do, but I like seeing you happy. And…Mario makes you really happy, and you talk to me a lot more because of spending time with him, which I like. So, I think that…I can be happy if you guys are."

My heart froze and I stared at my son as a smile slowly appeared on his face. _Is my little boy growing up already?_ He pushed himself into me and tightly hugged me. Though my arms shook, I wrapped them around my son and held him back.

"Thank you, Junior," I murmured. "I love you."

A chorus of sniffling filled the air and we broke out of our hug. At the door, the seven Koopalings watched us and fought against the tears that were coming out.

"What are you twerps crying at?" I snapped. More softly, I added, "Get in here."

They slowly made their way in and I wrapped all eight of the kids in a group hug. And I felt some peace, holding my family in my arms.

"Excuse me, sir," interrupted a voice and, with a grumble, I looked up. Glaucus. Am I not allowed to have my heartwarming moments?

"What?" I growled. "I'm still busy."

"Sorry sir," he came again, and I caught on to his leveled voice. Calm, even though I could hurl him out the nearest window for interrupting. "There are several troops asking about what are next strategies are. The Princess will most likely continue her campaign in recovering the rest of kingdom."

"So, we'll stop her," sounded Larry.

"Yeah, and any of her friends too!" agreed Lemmy.

"Do you have an official word you want me to convey, sire?" inquired Glaucus.

"Are there troops already posted at the next location?" I asked.

"Seaside? Yes, sir."

"Good, that should…" A thought buzzed through my mind. "Kids? Why don't we take a little trip over ourselves?"

"You'll go, Lord Bowser, sire?" questioned the Buzzy Beetle. My only response was a nod. "Very well, I'll inform Master Kamek and spread the word." With that, he slowly toddled away, and I caught glimpse of a brooch on the end of his shell.

"We're going to meet Peach and her posse?" asked Roy.

"Yes, we will," I murmured. "And most likely, Mario will be with them."

Junior bounced up. "Then we can kidnap him back again!" As I nodded, he and the Koopalings cheered in delight. "Come on! Let's get our Clown Cars ready!"

The seven Koopalings jumped up and hurried out of Junior's room. My son followed them, but stopped and gazed back at me. We smiled at one another as he ran back over, took my hand, and pulled me out of his room.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

The pillow rested on my face as I let out a heavy sigh. Luigi was still wandering around the room, and puzzled over the odd equation of my romantic interest and involvement with the Koopa King, Bowser.

"I just…I don't get it," he conceded.

"You don't _want_ to get it," my muffled response sounded from beneath the pillow.

"Nonsense, that's not true."

"Yes, in fact, it is," I accused as I threw the pillow off of my face and sat up. "You don't want me to be in love with him. You don't want to accept that it's a real thing, that's it possible for such a situation to even exist."

"You're…sort of right," he gave in only a bit.

"Luigi, what is this all about?" I complained. "What's your problem with all of this? You haven't even told anyone else, so as far as the rest of the kingdom is concerned, they just think I've been to hell and back again. The only one who can't look at me without this glare of disgust is you."

My brother stared at me and stood quietly in front of the door.

I shrugged. "I don't know what your problem is, and you're only demanding answers from me. How can I help you if you're not willing to help me?"

He rolled his shoulders and sighed. "I don't know what bothers me the most, honestly. You're gay, or you're starting a same-sex relationship, that I've got. But you lied to me. You didn't even tell me or think to trust me with something like this." He paused his rant to pinch his brows together. "You already cast a big enough shadow for me to drown in, now this?" Once he released them, he looked directly into my eyes. Different shape, but we shared the same iris color. "Doesn't that bother you?"

My hand grasped the letter from the edge of the bed and I held it up. "I thought you read this."

"I did."

"And yet you don't get it," I chastised. "I struggled with this very concept of you ever learning anything about this, about me. I didn't want you to know this because I knew you'd be upset, unable to understand. You think I like keeping this a secret? You think I enjoy tormenting myself with whom I love and who can know about it, about me? The very last thing I wanted to come from this was you hating me."

Luigi blinked, bewildered. "I don't hate you."

"Yes, you do."

"No," he persisted. "No, I don't. Mario, you're my brother. We disagree, we don't always see eye to eye, and I'm definitely not ok with a lot of this. But…" he trailed off to pull his thoughts together. "But we're brothers, Mario. We've been through way too much for me to ever really hate you." He sighed. "I may need some time to figure this stuff out, but I still love you. We're family."

Though I wasn't entirely sure if I could believe him, or if he even believed in what he rambled off to me, Luigi was right, and ideally, that's how we should see one another. He walked over to me and patted my shoulder.

"I'm really glad to have you back here, bro," he smiled. "Safe, alive, home."

Home. I nodded, but something hit my stomach hard.

"Get some rest, all right, Mario? I'm sure the princesses will have us marching off to the next fortress soon." And with that, Luigi strolled out the door and gently shut it behind himself.

Slowly, I pushed myself back against the bed and tossed my letter aside, deciding to pick it up later before I left. I had trouble shutting my eyes, and I kept waiting for Bowser to walk into the room and lay beside me, reassuring me that everything would work out in the end.

Back at his castle, I might have believed him. Here, after Luigi's interrogation, after facing off against his army myself, I wasn't so sure anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I thought last chapter was a feel trip.
> 
> So, here's Daisy! Yeah, I over hyped the newcomer for Peach's party, and she was probably your most guessed addition to the team. (What's that? You didn't even guess or were totally impressed? How kind of you!) I tried hard to have her and Peach pass the Bechdel test, but I don't know if they passed. But Daisy's purposes are more than just filling in quotas! (And don't mock me for that, Nintendo/Camelot did it too.) To be honest, the spunky princess has been around for years in various spin-offs, and yet, she has yet to be utilized in a main series game. Now, I get that she doesn't want to be kidnapped, but I'm pretty sure Daisy would have a few choice words for Bowser after he constantly grabs her best friend Peach and runs off. At the very least, she could just make a quick cameo and represent her kingdom/series.
> 
> Oh, and introducing the latest, and hopefully the last, of the Paper Mario-like Bowser minions, the Buzzy Beetle, Glaucus! Oddly enough, I hadn't used a somber and calm personality for the side characters yet, so I dumped it on him. And why a Buzzy Beetle, you ask? Well, they've been around since the very first Super Mario Bros. game, and yet, they're not quite so recognized. Even more astoundingly, they have yet to appear in a 3D Super Mario title (64, Sunshine, Galaxies, 3D Land/World, etc.), along with Paratroopas, who got cheated recently by Parabones (which are kind of cool, so can't hate). Excuse me while I jump on my soapbox and cry for additional representation of characters that no one really cares about! (Well, ok, I know we all love Beetles, but Daisy? I must be crazy! …Please don't hate me, I try really hard to be funny.)
> 
> Anyway, drama central with Peach, who has more parent issues, as well as calling out Daisy on her large amount of absences. That was the most critical plot point, huh? Gosh, Peach sure does have a lot of emotional issues coming up lately! She should really watch her Royal Scepter usage! …Stop glaring at me.
> 
> Onto the main event, yes, Junior joins the Koopalings in not really processing Bowser's interests in Mario, and not really sure if they'll be ok with it, but they'll give it a shot because they care. Also, younger generations are more susceptible to change than older ones. Guess who's not totally on board with acceptance? If you guessed Luigi, you are correct! Although, I didn't want to suddenly have people hate Luigi, since he's really confused and trying to piece things together himself. Really, he does love his brother. Sure, a lot of people can hate family members, but I think, ideally, we'd rather love our relations than hate them. And Luigi agrees with that idealism, and he still very much loves Mario. He's just…confused, like everyone else. (Hopefully not including you, readers!) I tried my best to have the perspective switching keep a reflective bounce back and forth, and tried to have the situations mirror one another, concept wise. Idk how that went either, so if I failed a lot this chapter, oops.
> 
> Meanwhile, Bowser and Mario are really starting to miss each other. Everyone go, "Aawwww!" Do it. Do it now. (You better have done it. I can't hear you, but I can pretend! Just look at how ridiculous my imagination is. LOOK AT IT!) So, what will our main lovers do with one another? Well, Mario's still trying to figure that part out, while Bowser's solution is simple: kidnap Mario, again! Seems like a great idea, right? Truly, it's a foolproof plan, it most certainly is.
> 
> Ok, I've written far too much, and somehow, this isn't the longest chapter. Crazy, I know. So, with both kingdoms plotting their next moves, who will come out on top? Oh, you don't even know the half of it. Not yet, anyway. The upcoming plot is still in full throttle drama, but we'll also being jumping into some action sequences as well! But fear not; the romance remains! Thank you again for reading! If you've got any comments or suggestions, send me a review or message! Yes, even you, guest readers! It warms my heart to see happy guest reviews. Actually, it warms my heart seeing anyone and everyone review/message me. You're all such beautiful and patient people for reading this far! So, pat yourselves on the back, and thanks once again!


	18. An Undertaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back with his friends again, Mario joins Peach, Luigi, and the others in taking back the fortress of Seaside. However, there are some heavy tensions that he must deal with along the way…along with a few shocks on the way through. Is Mario ready to handle the emotions and horrors he's missed out on? And just what does Bowser have planned to get Mario back…?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, stop right there. Don't scroll right away. This chapter is now the current champion in length, and it literally wrecked the competition. That means it's painfully long and that you should absolutely make sure you've got time cleared up to read it! Why is it so obscenely long? CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!
> 
> Also, double cautions and warnings: this chapter does go darker and, there's no way to sugar coat this, features dead fishes. Now, I've included some violent content before, but this stuff is a little slower over the details, so I figured I should lay out a head's up for anyone that's a little squeamish. There's no blood and guts, but it's a bit unsettling, I think. Maybe I'm overreacting, I hope I am, but I'm putting this up here, just in case.
> 
> Anyway, I'm not sure if every little bit of this chapter is super necessary, but as I went along with it, I wasn't quite sure what to cut. If you've got suggestions on things to cut away, I'm totally open to removing it from the chapter. Usually, I don't really press for long chapters, but I realize that, going forward, things might become a little more lengthy. (Ew, reading. Who does that? …Oh.) So, maybe everything works nicely for this chapter, maybe it'll be the oddball until endgame, I have no idea.
> 
> Keep in mind, italics indicate thoughts or dream sequences. Ok, I could tell you more, but I've already included light spoilers, and I hate doing that, so read on and enjoy!

My Dear Bowser,

Perhaps that's a little too strong of a title, so I'll start by apologizing for it. However, I'm driven mad, insane, over your absence, with a limitless feeling of agonizing pain that hits me more frequently than I realized it would.

It should be no surprise, considering how desperately I wanted you. What I had desired from you was something fictitious, impossible for anyone to comprehend as a realistic and plausible option.

Yet, you had sought the same, and pressed the ideas in my mind forward.

Being with you, even for just a short period of time, not even a month, was just exhilarating, breathtaking. Something about having you made me feel alive, and whole, complete. The time we shared together wasn't ideal, not at first, but I grew comfortable to be near you, and blissful with how precious everything had become.

Most of all, it was you who made me feel worthwhile.

Granted, this kingdom considers me an asset, and they value my abilities, but it was really you who saw beyond that. And I suppose it only makes sense, but I can't tell you how desperately I love to be seen as something besides a hero. I am mortal, we all are; I grow weary of needing to live up to expectations, as anyone would. And as much as I like to see the smiles light up in people when they see me, it's not because they know and love me. They're delighted because I protect them, keep them safe, and I'm able to reassure that their tomorrow will come.

Is it selfish if I too desire that same feeling, those same thoughts? Perhaps not so much the protection, or the safety, but rather security, comfort. I don't need a hero, or some type of knight, to stand up and take blows for me. But I need someone to see when I'm ready to fall, when I'm at my weakest, and still want to pick me back up, press me on, keep me going.

Am I too bold in telling you that you were becoming that?

The mistakes that I've made are numerous, not even including those that I made in your company. Yet, when you did see me broken, when I did falter, you didn't make me feel like anything less for it. It was by your insistence, your confidence in me, that I kept going.

Even as you faced your struggles and troubles, you pushed past them to make sure that I would be right there with you. When your troops came after me, you guarded me, knowing that I didn't need it, but because you wanted to keep me safe anyway. After I had horrific nightmares, you comforted me, not because it was the right thing to do, not since it would make us closer, but because you wanted me to feel better.

Where others might have identified these as weaknesses on my part, where I might have shattered all confidence and hope by allowing myself to fall apart within your walls, you simply put me back together again. Nothing seemed imperfect to you, or at least, you didn't let my flaws deter you. It's true that we were only just getting to know one another on a completely new level, but from what we had, I was already hooked, already wanted more of it, of you.

I had you. And yet, I left you.

Certainly, my living conditions were not what I wanted, but I understood the bind we had entered. We both knew about the risks, the difficulties that would arise from it, from us. And I was fine with taking it slow, or I imagined that I could endure it. Sure, I had some curiosity that needed to be sated, exploring rooms that I shouldn't have, and some misgivings that I felt were fairly powerful, but I planned to move past them. I could be wrong, but I think you felt the same, in some regards.

But I had to leave; you were already struggling with my presence, and adding someone else on top of it was a greater gamble than I wanted to test. That Toad would not have been as safe as I had been in your castle. In the short amount of time I had to think about it, I knew that alone was enough to leave. More over, had I kept the Toad at bay from rescuing me, had I hindered his efforts, what would we do then? You hesitated to tell your son the truth, I've kept it from my friends; it was too much of a risk.

Maybe I had more time to think about it, and there's a chance that we could have stayed there. He might have been fine. We all might have. But I didn't want to put that much on you.

Still though, I understand that I didn't tell you, that my actions still betrayed your intentions, your love for me. And for doing that, I am sorry. It's probably too late to tell you so, too late to smooth things over, but I need you to know that I still do love you, that I still want to have you in my life. You've already done so much for me, and I need to return the favor. I don't know what to do or how, but I will figure this out.

However, I need you to figure that out, because when you're not by my side, I can't see the whole picture. When we're not together, the nightmares take over and it's impossible for me to think as clearly anymore. And now that I've had you, now that I don't, I'm longing for you, yearning for that clarity that you gave me.

Yes, I think it's too much to ask you for forgiveness, but if I still try, if I don't give up on us and share your determination, can we find ourselves together again?

Will you forgive me?

Love,

Mario

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

With a heavy sigh and trembling hands, I folded the letter and stuffed it inside my overalls. A yawn escaped from me, and my eyes weighed down a bit; though I had rested, sleep never came. Closing my eyes led back to visions of my previous nightmares and I was afraid to completely fall asleep, and my heart raced over their possible return.

It's a little excessive of me to have written all of that, perhaps overboard. But some small desire in me hoped that he would read it some day, that we could still be lovers. It's either that, or the crippling fear of anyone else finding it tucked away in this room, that I kept it with me.

A knock at my door made me jump. Luigi opened the door.

"Hey," he greeted. "We're ready to go to Seaside. Peach was hoping you would come with us."

Though I was hesitant about leaving the room, I nodded and followed my brother out to meet the others.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

My eyes scanned the hallway and I waited a minute before I opened his door. Without hesitation, I slipped inside and closed the door behind me.

After I turned around, my heartbeat picked up as I gazed into the room. Small, dark, dingy…had I really kept the man I called my boyfriend locked up in here?

Slowly, I inched forward and crawled about the room. A little less sheepishly than it should have been, I sniffed the air for his scent, as if it would still be here.

Making my room into a prison was a way to level the field, but torturing my mind to the point that I'm unsettled without him here? It doesn't make sense. We weren't together long. Mario's absence shouldn't affect me to the point of restlessness, clawing at walls and desks, or throwing pillows around the room.

But it does.

Quietly, I sat on his bed and slid my hand along it. This is overly emotional and I don't need to react like this.

_No, you just don't like acting that way because you think it's weak._

Damn it, Kamek. With a heavy linger, I pulled at his sheets and dragged my claw across it gently. My nails tugged each fold along and ruffled the sheets.

It was the faint sound of a paper flapping that got me to pause.

Quickly, I flopped across the bed and threw the pillow away. A small letter floated in the air and I swiped at it while it dodged my grabs. Annoyed, I snatched at it once more and caught it in my hands.

A letter. His handwriting. Was it for me?

My eyes scanned the first words at the top. "To Luigi," I read and disappointment flared up instantly. Of course he wouldn't have written to me; I was already here.

Still, I kept reading; I hungered for his words, any words, even if they weren't for me.

He doesn't know where to begin or what to tell his brother, but he makes it clear that I haven't harmed him. Skipping through the lines, I scanned past them until I see him mention my castle or me again.

Although I tried not to falter, my eyes move slowly over one part: _Sure, there is the threat of death that looms around the corner each day, and I fear for my life on multiple occasions_ …and I feel the worst ache in my chest. Stab my heart a little harder, won't you? Even though the next lines make up for it, the damage is already done.

Again, I scroll through the words, and he mentioned that I kept a tight surveillance on him. Mario made it clear that though he couldn't do so, he wasn't looking to escape.

"So why did you?" I begged for the paper to magically answer in his stead.

When it didn't, I skimmed on. Something about truths, being open minded, and I'm held up again: _Bowser needed to tell Junior, so I should be able to do the same with you. A few more lines in, I caught: I love Bowser. And he loves me._

And had I stopped there, I might have been able to swoon over Mario some more. But I kept reading, and paid for it: _It is a farfetched concept. How could a villainous king fall in love with the hero that constantly thwarts his plans, takes away every opportunity at conquest, and denies him that desire to rule? How can a man love a monster?_

_How are we possible?_

My mouth fell open. Unrealistic, that was a given earlier. But by the point he was in this room, when he wrote this? How could he still be questioning…us?

Further along: _Honestly, there is a struggle in my mind over accepting us, especially when I'm confined in just one room for most of my days, but it's worth the effort to try, isn't it?_

Then he repeated himself:

_Are we worth it?_

That was essentially how it ended. My hands quaked and the paper flapped with each shudder. The last line etched itself inside my mind. He was seriously unsure of us. For how long had he felt like this? All this time, I hadn't been completely positive about the direction, but I had thought that, at least between us, we were fine.

The door open and I listened as my hands tore the paper in half. My eyes whirled about and focused on Junior and Kamek.

"Um…Papa?" he asked. "Are…you feeling ok?"

"No," I confessed in an uneven voice, and I bit my cheek. "But I'll be fine."

"The Koopalings and I are ready," my son informed me. "And Kamek's coming."

"Good," I growled. "We can use more powerhouses."

Kamek and Junior exchanged an uneasy glance with one another, and then back to me. "Sire, are you…certain about this?"

"Positive," I snarled. "I want him back."

Though I now had my own misgivings, I still had a right to answers. And Mario was going to give them to me. One way or another, he was coming right back here.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

An hour had passed since our group left the castle. Already, we could smell the salty air from the waters just a short distance away, and we continued along the sand coated pathway. The sparse trees waved in the wind that blew by, and we glanced over the cliffs that we traveled, with Seaside waiting for us below.

Luigi and Yoshi led the way, while the Toads crowded together behind them. Daisy and Peach chattered a bit in between them, but Peach had slowed her pace to fall back with me, as I trudged quietly behind the group.

"You're usually the first one forward," she whispered to me and nudged my shoulder.

"Yep," I admitted. "Guess I'm still tired."

Peach slipped her hand into mine, and as if on cue, Daisy peeked back, smiled, and returned her attention forward.

"I love how well this works," giggled Peach as she lifted our hands to show me. "I suppose we make the perfect couple, huh?"

My head bobbed up and down. "That's how it seems."

She sighed and lowered our hands. "Honestly, Mario, I feel so much better with you here."

"Is it because everyone else lowers their guards when I'm with you?" I teased.

"Oh, that's a definite benefit, absolutely," she laughed. But quietly, she continued, "It's not just that though. I truly feel…safer with you around me."

"Of course." Everyone does.

"That came out so plainly, I'm sorry," she murmured. "I don't want you to think that I'm just happy to have my knight and journal composite back with me. I worried myself sick that Bowser had hurt you."

"But he didn't," I reassured her. "Just put that behind you now."

"You don't understand," Peach sighed. "I broke down while I waited. Normally, by the end of a week, you'd have rescued me. A week ended and you weren't back home. I was desperate. And that's why I…well, this." She hoisted her scepter up with disdain. "I'm not you, but with this, I could move as quickly as you do, save lives. I was so certain that Bowser would have killed you, and the 1-Up Mushrooms are so scarce now that I…I don't know, I panicked."

"Peach, you don't have to explain yourself," I rested my hand on her shoulder. "Not to me."

"Maybe not, but I can't rationalize it myself," she persisted. "Talking to you gets it out. No one else really gets it, gets me. They don't understand how much of a show I normally need to put on, being the regal princess that could be a friend to every living creature." She exhaled a heavy breath. "It's hard to put on a cheerful face when tomorrow you're going to deal with a wicked king that will impede all of your hard work again."

Her words about Bowser bother me, regardless of accuracy. I forced myself to nod, and rubbed her back. "I understand. Putting on a charade is a pain."

"Yes, yes I know. You don't always want to be the big hero," she reiterated her words that I've heard several times before. "But you're good at your showmanship, and have what you need to show for it. Not to belittle your issues, but being the perfect, benevolent ruler of this kingdom is a lot harder."

"We both have hard lives to lead," I argued. "Everyone does. But still, you don't need to act like the weight of the world is on your shoulders."

"Don't I?" she questioned. "Don't you do that too?"

"Well…yes," I caved. "But, it's not all that healthy, and—"

"Mario, we're put into these positions and we have standards to meet," Peach explained. "You and I don't really get time to…well, be normal."

She was right, but I didn't want to give up that easily. "Peach, we really don't need to live up to every single expectation," I tried again. "Sometimes, we just can't keep up that perfect image that everyone sees in their idols."

"No, we can't," she agreed. "But we need to nevertheless. When you think about it, everyone needs to put on a show the minute they walk outside and meet someone."

"Not always," I contended.

"Usually," she amended. "Just once, I'd like someone to not need me to be so—"

"Princess!" cried a Toad, and we looked ahead to the Purple Toad. "We've got enemies up ahead!" He pointed down to the beaches, with Rexes and Koopa Troopas parading across them. With a squint, we could make out the Cheep Cheeps in the sea.

"Let's take them on!" rallied Daisy.

"Easy, Daisy," Peach waved her down. She gazed back to me, studied me, and then returned her attention to the others. "Mario's still tired. Someone should stay back with him and keep him safe."

"Peach, I'm fine," I rolled my eyes, but she shook her head.

"If we really need you, it'll be for something a lot harder than what's up ahead," she insisted. She leaned closer to me, and whispered, "I don't want them to take one of my best friends from me again. Leave this to me, please."

She straightened herself back up and our eyes met. Her eyes reflected the sky. Limitless. I couldn't stop her once she made up her mind; she wouldn't allow anyone to. With a small sigh, I nodded.

"Daisy, you'll stay back and keep Mario safe," commanded Peach. "We'll clear a path up ahead and make it easy on him."

"Me?!" cried Daisy. "Look, Mario's great, but I came along to actually help you. After what we planned out back at the castle, I thought—"

"We had assumed that Mario would be back up to speed," argued Peach. "He's not. Just leave the rest to us while we clear the way open."

"But why can't his brother, or Yoshi, or one of the Toads—?"

"We assigned them to teams, remember?" reminded Peach. "Luigi can't work alone though, so I'll go with him."

"Hey, I could too!"

"Right, but you don't have…" Peach thought for a moment, probably about the right way to put it.

Daisy, however, finished it for her: "Oh, what, your magical wand? Give it to me, I'll blast holes into everything!"

"One, that's not a good idea," Peach contended. "Two, it won't work for you. Or did you forget—?"

"Family blood forged magic or whatever, no, I got it," huffed Daisy. "You know what? Fine, whatever, go ahead. You split into your pairs and go clear the path to the fortress." She folded her arms and maintained her annoyed expression.

"All right, let's go everyone," Peach ordered to the others. Though Luigi and Yoshi hesitated, they looked me over and nodded. Then, with the rest of the Toads and Princess Peach, they marched down the coastal cliff, toward the shoreline.

I frowned and turned to Daisy. "Sorry. We'll help out with the fortress, I promise."

The ginger haired princess stared at me; her eyes were a darker blue than the rest of ours, save maybe Yoshi, but almost an opposite of Peach. "You think this is because of you?" She asked. "This is because Peach wants to get back at me."

"Over your arguments earlier?" I questioned. "Daisy, you know that Peach rarely holds a grudge—"

"Yeah, usually she just hates Bowser," she interrupted. "But that stupid wand is messing with her head! You and I both know it, everyone does!"

Maybe not me, as just a minute or so ago, I was talking with my dear friend.

Still, taking on Daisy's temper would not be smart. "I'll admit that she's worked up," I consented. "But she's got her heart in the right place—"

"Not a chance," snapped Daisy and she plopped down on a flat white stone. "She's just trying to get me worked up and pressured into using magic too."

"You…you can use it too?" I asked.

Daisy bit her lip and pressed her hands along the rim of the rock, but nodded. "Magic isn't really a prerequisite to be a ruler, but, well, Peach and I have it in our blood."

"I didn't know that."

"It's not exactly something we want to air," explained Daisy. "The side effects from using any kind of magic are…well, pricey. I'm sure Bowser would do the same, but he has so many grunts to fall apart for him, there's less of a need."

Though I wanted to defend Bowser, I shrugged my shoulders instead.

"It's not a great idea, at all though, for Peach to be stuck on using this stuff," Daisy continued. "Magic is meant to be a last resort kind of thing, not a way to flaunt your talents or settle scores or whatever she's up to."

"And yet…you carried something with you too," I observed.

She glared at me, but pressed her eyes shut and slipped her gloves off. On her ring fingers were two silver, flower-shaped rings, with turquoise pendants in the center.

"Peach knew you had those," I murmured and Daisy nodded.

"You getting kidnapped is…rare," Daisy sighed. "Not unheard of, but rare. And it's been almost a month, which is a long time for Bowser to be holding a grip over everyone." She twisted her hands around and glowered at them. "I'm so annoyed at Peach because I'm angry with myself. We had the same reaction; she just acted on it. I didn't because I wanted to believe that you'd be ok." She dropped her hands and smiled at me. "And I was right, you are. Well, mostly."

"No, you had it right, I am," I insisted.

"Right, that's right," Daisy agreed, but frowned. "It's just…I…" She pursed her lips, wrapped her fingers together, and lowered her head to stare at them. "You're strong."

A laugh slipped out of my mouth. "So are you. A lot of us are."

Daisy shook her head. "No, Mario, you're almost inhuman," she argued. "I still remember how Tatanga had captured me, that sick little purple creep." Daisy shivered and held herself for a minute. "But…you came through, and saved me," she continued. "You went up against what my people couldn't. What I couldn't stop, you did." She looked back up at me. "And you do that repeatedly for Peach, like it's nothing."

_Maybe because Bowser went softer on me than I realized._

"It is a lot harder than I make it seem," I tried, but Daisy remained unconvinced.

"Not even Luigi has the tenacity you do," she noted. "He's good, but you're…I really don't know how to put it. Born to be a hero?"

"So they tell me," I chuckled.

"But…you get why Peach panicked. Why we panicked," Daisy relented.

I shook my head. "I understand, but you can't really believe—"

"What, that you're superhuman?" asked Daisy. "I'll admit, your use of power-ups steered me away from those thoughts, at first. Lately, though, when we do see each other, every so often, I'm almost positive that you have to be."

My eyes rolled and Daisy laughed. "If you think so."

"Yep, I do," she asserted. "And, that brings up another good point: we never really hang out anymore. You saved me once, we spend some time at sports and parties together, but I feel like I've gotten to know Luigi better than I have you. And you're the one who saved my kingdom!"

"You're right," I nodded. "We should probably spend more time together." Cleverly, I had to add, "Guess Peach had more in mind about us staying behind together."

The Sarasaland princess shrugged. "I wouldn't put it past her, but I'm not giving her that much credit." Still, she smiled again. "Guess we are kind of the odd ones out this time around, what with you being a little out of the loop and me…well, trying to finally be in the loop."

"Daisy, Peach didn't mean what she accused of earlier," I soothed.

"Yes, she did," Daisy muttered. "And…she's not entirely wrong. I should be here, more often than just for fun. But, sometimes, beneath all of this toughness I show the world, I just…feel a little self conscious, just a little bit of doubt in myself."

"We all do."

"Maybe, but it feels like everyone else brushes past it," Daisy sighed. "I put on a brave face, and I talk big game, but when I'm faced with a big crisis, with kidnapping in particular, I just…" she shivered. "It's a little bit tougher."

"Daisy, you were abducted," I reminded her. "An alien nearly took you off planet."

"You've been to space," she argued. "You even met a girl who lives in space. I get so annoyed over myself for worrying about it."

"It's not a normal thing," I contested. "Daisy, it's all right to—"

"Mario, please," she interrupted. "I want to be tougher, braver, like everyone else. I want to become my mask." She picked up her legs and pressed her face into her hands, which rested on her knees. "You wouldn't get it. You're a hero. This kind of pressure is—"

"What, non existent?" I snapped. "Do you really think I don't know what that feels like?" Calmer, I continued, "In Bowser's Castle, I literally feared for my life, like I was going to die any minute. You and Peach have been through that, I get it perfectly. How the two of you reacted makes sense."

"It does, and it doesn't," Daisy conceded. "But…thanks. I feel a little more…or maybe not as powerless…whatever, you helped." We laughed a bit before Daisy changed topics. "How was that, if you don't mind? Like, besides the fearing for your life, which was awful, but…how did you cope, really?"

_It might have had something to do with my boyfriend being the king over there._ Should I tell her that? It was difficult enough to share with Luigi, and Daisy wouldn't take it well at all, or might even tell Peach. On second thought, I'd be insane to tell her, but…

Was it something to share with anyone else?

"Um, I, uh, managed," I stammered out. "It was difficult, but they kept me alive."

"Right, as the bargaining chip," Daisy recalled. "Toadsworth explained that to me." She shook her head once more. "You know what? It's fine; we both get what it's like to be a victim. You don't need to relive that for me."

"It's not—"

"Zip it!" she jumped up and put her hand in my face. "Positive thoughts, from here on out, got it?" That's not exactly where my mind is— "Hey! Don't drop your sad sack eyes on me! I mean it, Mario!" Daisy placed her hands on her hips. Was this the same princess that just confessed to being somewhat insecure just minutes ago? "As soon as the others come back, we're going to kick some—"

"Koopa shells?" offered a voice. Yoshi and the Purple Toad strolled over to us. "I prefer to munch on them myself, but—"

"You two finished already?!" cried Daisy.

"Yep," giggled the Toad. "First areas are usually the easiest."

"That's true," I agreed.

"Come on, it's a quick way through," Yoshi beckoned us to follow.

The four of us made our way down the coastline, and walked quickly through the disheveled beach that Yoshi and the Toad had traveled through. It wasn't the sticks or stones that bothered me; I winced as my eyes scanned empty Koopa shells that were tossed aside. A beached Cheep Cheep had already gasped out its last breath and left a vacant corpse behind, with its eyes wide open. Boot prints indicated that there had been Rexes in the area, but I couldn't see any of them; they were probably all flattened and blown away.

To think, dozens upon hundreds of times, I had blazed through areas and fought past these minions, but never once so much as glanced back to witness the damage that I had caused. Traveling through it, I studied the Purple Toad and Yoshi to see if they would show any visible reactions of their own. Mostly, the two kept their eyes forward, making a careful point not to take in their surroundings.

At the flagpole near the area's end, with Peach's flag already beating in the wind, the Blue and Yellow Toads waited for us. They waved as we came into view, and pointed us to a landmass ahead, a large purple rock with green moss on the top.

"In order to get through, we'll need to swim," explained the Blue Toad.

"But we mostly cleared the way," cheered the Yellow Toad. "Just wish we had kept the Ice powers!"

We moved ahead, jumped on the stone, and took it as far as it extended. Once we hit a wall, the only option was to swim below. The three Toads jumped in first, and Daisy followed them. Yoshi looked back at me and smiled.

"You ok, Mario?" he asked, and managed to keep his usual cheer in his voice.

"Um, yeah, I think so," I lied. "You can swim, right?"

"Not well, so it's a good thing that the others dealt with this level," Yoshi admitted. "I can manage a clear swim though, without anything to throw me off."

"Couldn't you jump around the top?" I pointed at the wall ahead of us, but Yoshi already shook his head.

"Too high," he murmured. He took my hand and led me to the edge. "I'll be fine, especially since you're here! You always look out for me when you can."

Slowly, I nodded and Yoshi smiled before he jumped in. Quickly, I dove in after him, with bubbles streaming past me, and found him swimming ahead. The others had already gotten a good distance on us, so I was left to quickly paddle after them.

Underwater was no better than the surface; there were frozen Cheep Cheeps, Bloopers, and Porcupuffers that bubbled up toward the surface or had sunk further below, out of sight in the depths of the sea. Two downed Urchins had clogged themselves into pipes. Broken bits of Fish Bones floated about, and I half expected one to become repossessed, chase after us again. But none of them did.

Ahead, the Toads and Daisy swam into a Warp Pipe. Yoshi and I paddled after them, and I watched the murky depths disappear behind me, with only a dark pipe's walls around me. As we were transported up, our weight returned.

We reemerged atop another large rock and jumped over some brown stone steps to the next flagpole, also with Peach's flag already raised. Just as we took turns to jump and slide down it, the Red and Green Toads came into view.

"You guys just come back from clearing the path?" asked Daisy, and the two Toads nodded. "Cool, let's go!"

She ran ahead, with the five Toads dashing after her. They seemed happy to be together once more, but frantic to keep Daisy amongst them. Yoshi went down against the ground scooted back. He slowly rose up between my legs and thrust me onto his back.

"Come on," he laughed, as I slammed into the back of his head, somehow undeterred. "Let's catch up with them!"

Yoshi charged forward and we ran along the landmass, catching up to Daisy and the Toads in just a few seconds. Soon, we reached the end of the mass, and I winced again at the Deep Cheeps and Spiny Cheep Cheeps that floated on the surface of the water.

"Are…we're going back under?" I forced out.

"It's the only way forward," noted the Green Toad.

"Don't worry, we made sure we took care of everything!" laughed the Red Toad.

Everyone jumped back into the water. Going back under this time, the water was darker, almost pitch black. If it weren't for some glow blocks that were in rocky wall crevices, I'm not sure that the light would reach us. What made the journey more eerie, frightful, was the lack of enemies, live or otherwise. The entire trip through was full of underwater plants and stones, maybe a clam, but nothing else.

We burst back from the water on the other side and jumped back onto the landmass above us. A short distance away was yet another flagpole.

"Huh," observed Daisy. "I was expecting Peach and Luigi to be back already."

"They were trying to find the fastest route, from what Peach told me," recalled the Red Toad.

"Well, I'm sure they'll be back soon," reassured the Yellow Toad.

As soon as the words left his mouth, I spotted Peach and Luigi strolling back to us in the distance. They crossed a long wooden bridge that led to a tall brown structure that I couldn't quite make out from far away. They slowed and waved us to meet on the bridge over the sea. Single filed, we made our way across the bridge and over to the two.

"This bridge is a straight path to the fortress," informed Luigi. "It's actually an abandoned ship!"

"That sounds like a pretty bad place to end up," murmured the Blue Toad.

"I wouldn't recommend it under normal circumstances," agreed Peach. "But, it's massive, and definitely the fortress for Seaside."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Daisy. "Let's go beat that boss out of the ship and regain control of Seaside!"

She rallied everyone to race across the bridge, and we rushed along the long way to the grand ship, almost the size of a cruise ship. However, when it came into view, the ship appeared to be some type of war vessel, with broken masts and holes on the deck railings that appeared to be from cannon fire. By the black flags that flapped far away at the top, I gathered that either Bowser's troops were here, or that it was a pirate ship, placing more faith in the former. Though we could see the top of the ship from down below, it would take some time to actually get up there, and we entered the lower decks.

"This shouldn't take very long," mumbled Yoshi, who seemed uncomfortable with coming along. I pat his back and smiled at him.

"If you want, Yoshi, you can wait outside," I suggested. "I know how much you hate to enter the dungeons and fortresses that Bowser's army occupies."

He shook his head. "Luigi already tried that one, and he got hurt inside," Yoshi told me. "We just got you back; I don't want to risk not going for my own safety."

My eyebrows raised and I turned to Luigi. "So, when you told me you hit your head before…?"

"Yeah, that was the last fortress," Luigi clarified. "After we stopped the boss."

"After you stopped the boss," corrected the Purple Toad.

"Oh, right, Luigi was awesome back at the pyramid," agreed the Green Toad.

"Well, I…I guess, yeah," Luigi sheepishly caved and scratched behind his head.

"All right, enough chatting," Peach interrupted. "Let's get inside and reclaim this land."

Peach led the way aboard the ship's ramp and door, followed closely by Daisy and the five Toads. Yoshi hesitated, but shook his head and marched in after them. I went after him, but stopped just before boarding the ship, and turned back to Luigi.

"Are you sure you're ready?" he asked me.

"Luigi, I can handle this," I assured him.

"Physically, maybe," he relented. "But…well, can you face your, um…boyfriend's army?"

Folding my arms, I squinted at my brother and studied him for a minute. He bit his lip and frowned, while his eyes appeared…worried.

"You're not telling me something," I assessed. "I've already had to fend off the Koopa Troop." Truth be told, the entire journey here disturbed me more than I imagined it would, and I was wary about taking down Bowser's forces. But…it had to be done.

Still, Luigi shook his head. "It's…well, last time, we faced off against a Dry Bowser," he explained. "He had direct messages to Peach…and me…about you, specifically."

An eyebrow shot up again. "What's your point?"

"Mario, the next boss could have something from Bowser and use it against you," he muttered. "They went for my mind and my emotions in the last fortress. Can you handle something like that?" He waited as I hesitated over my response, and then added, "You did escape from his castle. And judging by the story, it wasn't something he was made readily aware of, was it?"

Though I hated to admit it, Luigi had a fair point. But I tightened my fists and stared into his eyes. "I can handle this," I reaffirmed, and turned to walk inside the ship. Luigi's footsteps sounded as he chased after me.

As soon as we had stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind us.

"Not good," murmured Luigi as we whirled around to inspect it.

"Hey, Super Mario Brothers!" called Daisy. "How about you two get over here and lend a hand, huh?"

We turned back, watched the princesses on a platform, and waited to see Daisy leap up and stomp down on a flattened Rex, and she squashed it to the ground. Peach held her scepter and whacked a Dry Bones to pieces as it tried to sneak up on Daisy.

"That's not a battering ram!" shouted Daisy.

"Well, I thought you wouldn't yell if I used it this way," laughed Peach.

Daisy smirked and the two continued their way up the ship. On the platform across from them, Yoshi used his tongue to snatch a Buzzy Beetle, then spit its shell toward a Spike Top that was marching after two Toads.

"Phew! Thanks Yoshi," sighed the Green Toad.

"Yeah, you're great!" cheered the Yellow Toad, and Yoshi grinned.

"Mario, Luigi, come on!" called the Red Toad as he knocked a Dry Bones apart.

My brother and I stepped forward, and were ready to jump on the nearest crates to a platform, but stopped once we heard splashes below us. We exchanged a horrified glance before we gazed down to find the floor had suddenly filled up with water.

"Looks like we're going to need to speed this up," I yelled out. "This ship is sinking!"

"What?!" exclaimed Peach. "I know it's old, but it was fine a minute ago!"

She stared back down to us and watched as the water began to fill the floor. Daisy watched as well and gasped.

"Yikes! Double time, people!" she shouted.

"I knew this was a bad idea!" cried the Blue Toad.

Everyone jumped up through the ship, grabbing onto the poles and platforms while we avoided the enemies that rushed us. The sound of water rushing through the ship grew louder as it continued to sink, with more holes allowing the water to leak through.

Eventually, we made it to a high point and a giant, yellow studded door.

"Uh, should we go back down and search for power-ups?" wondered the Purple Toad.

Peach gazed down and shook her head. "We might have some time, but that water's leaking through quicker as the ship sinks lower. It's best to not chance it and just deal with the boss in the best we can naturally. All ready?"

Our group exchanged expressions, some worried while others calm, myself included. We returned our attention to Peach and nodded.

"Then let's go," Peach waved us forward and I pushed open the door.

We charged forward and ran onto the deck of the ship. It was steadily lowering toward the sea and we rapidly looked about for the boss.

"Where is it?" asked Yoshi.

"Maybe it was a trap," grumbled Luigi.

A loud slam sounded on the starboard side of the boat, and knocked us to the ground.

"W-What was that?!" yelled Daisy as we tried to stand up.

Another crash sounded port side and we were knocked back over.

"This is ridiculous," groaned Peach as she raised herself up again. I rolled over and helped her up.

Several more smashes sounded as a white tentacle with blue spots and tips crashed onto the ship. Another three long tentacles soon joined it. From the water, a large squid with a round mouth, a Blooper, surfaced and glared at us.

"Gooper Blooper!" I shouted and readied myself for the fight. Peach and the others followed suit.

The massive Blooper whipped one of its tentacles down toward us, and we spread out to dodge it. Right after, it fired three heavy blasts of ink, with one nearly splattering over Daisy and Peach, but missed overall.

"Try to grab the tentacles and pull them apart!" I ordered.

"Yes," oozed the Blooper. "Try, try, TRY!"

It slammed down another tentacle and slapped three Toads away. The remaining two, Blue and Yellow, went to pull at its tentacle and tried to drag it back.

"Mario, it's…not…working!" struggled the Yellow Toad.

Another tentacle slammed right next to me and broke through the ship. "Ground Pound it!"

As I rolled away from the tentacle, Yoshi kicked his feet from the deck and flutter jumped into the air. He flipped and slammed his bottom down hard on the tentacle, flattening it. Daisy rushed over and pulled at it, but she failed to tear it away from its host.

"Still no good!" reported Daisy.

"Well, you're going to hate me for this, but," Peach whipped out her scepter and aimed at Gooper Blooper.

Luigi, however, tripped over a third tentacle and crashed into Peach, who fumbled about with her wand.

The other two tentacles lifted back into the air and spiked the two Toads and Daisy across the deck, while Yoshi just managed to jump clear.

"Mario!" screamed the Red Toad. "We're getting closer to the water! We're running out of time!"

If the ship sank before we were rid of Gooper Blooper, it would most likely drag us to the depths.

Shaking my head, I pressed my teeth together. There had to be something else. I squinted at the Gooper Blooper's mouth. I could pull it back and shoot the mouth back into its face, but I'd need a distraction. We could—

"Watch out, Mario!" yelled Yoshi.

Two tentacles swung at me, and I flipped between them. Quickly, I jumped over to Yoshi and stared at him. Of course!

"Everyone! I have an idea!" I called. "Pair up with someone and grab hold of a tentacle!" Quietly, I rested my hand on Yoshi's shoulder. "You're with me. We're going to rush up and grab its mouth."

He nodded and I jumped onto his back. We watched as Daisy and the three Toads grabbed the tentacles nearest to the port side, while Peach, Luigi, and the other two Toads grappled the tentacles on the starboard side.

"Now!" I shouted and Yoshi dashed forward.

The Gooper Blooper struggled to pull its tentacles free from my friends' grips, but then refocused its attention on Yoshi and I.

"No good, no good," it taunted and spewed ink in front of us.

Yoshi jumped up and fluttered over a good portion of the ink, but couldn't stay airborne for long.

"It's…up to…you, Mario," Yoshi panted and slowly fell back to the ship's deck.

We skidded across the ink and were headed for the large hole in the ship. Quickly, Yoshi repositioned his body and arched his back to fling me forward.

Gooper Blooper's eyes widened as I landed and grabbed its mouth. Swiftly, I ran back across the deck and pulled its elastic mouth back with me.

"Hurry, Mario!" yelled Luigi. "We can't hold these much longer!"

"Good, let them loose once this snaps back," I ordered.

More than half way back across the boat, I was unable to tug the Blooper's mouth further.

"Everyone ready?" I asked as the pairs squirmed with the tentacles, but managed to nod at me. "Now!"

I released the mouth and watched it fire back at the Gooper Blooper. It tried to bring its tentacles back around to catch its mouth, but it zipped back too quickly.

With a loud snap, the Blooper's mouth hit it hard back in the face. While it winced in pain, its tentacles came reeling back and slapped it four times across its head and knocked it from the ship.

Yoshi pulled himself free from the ink and tried his best to shake it away. He walked back over to me as everyone else watched for Gooper Blooper to return before meeting us back in the center.

"Way to go, Mario!" congratulated the Purple Toad.

"Yeah, you're the best!" cheered the Green Toad.

"That's the Mario we need!" clapped Daisy.

"Thank you, everyone," I laughed. "But we did this together. So pat yourselves on the back too, because we couldn't have ended this without one another."

The Toads hugged one another and bounced around. Daisy glanced at Yoshi and picked up a broken bit of the wooden deck to try brushing the rest of the ink off of him. Luigi pat my back, while Peach smiled and rested her hand on my shoulder.

"Did we mention that we missed you?" she asked.

"Oh, once or twice, maybe," I chuckled, and Peach kissed me on the cheek.

Abruptly, a rumble from beneath us knocked us off balance. We wildly looked around, but saw nothing.

"Not…over…" moaned the distant and water obscured voice of the Gooper Blooper.

Before anyone could move, a blast sounded from below deck. Another one followed, along with several more in quick succession.

"He's blasting the ship to pieces!" shrieked the Green Toad.

Fiery explosions began to burst from all around the ship and everyone tried to run for cover. One blast went off and tossed me overboard.

"No! Mario!" I heard Luigi yell as I fell into the sea. Another blast knocked the wind out of me. As I hit the water, the world around me went blue, then black, and silent.

_I had you. And yet…_

A flash of fire went off in front of me, but I couldn't feel the heat. The world around me was suddenly purple, rocky, with glowing blue lights. The fire flew up near me again. It was the bird. I saw my gloved hand reach out for it, but it flew up into the starry sky.

_"Not yet."_

Bowser appeared and was over me. His hand interlocked with mine, but I couldn't feel it. At first, he smiled, but suddenly, his eyes widened and he bared his fangs. I watched as he worded "no" on his lips and the world began to go dark again.

_"Stay with me! Don't go! Mario! Please!"_

My eyes snapped open and I looked at darks clouds that lined up on the sky. I took in a deep breath of the damp, salty air. My hands pushed off the sandy ground and I shot back up.

Trees were sparse across the land in front of me. I glanced around and saw my friends scattered about, slowly rising from the ground as well. I pivoted back around and saw the sea around the land. Though it seemed to surround the area, I squinted and caught sight of a sandy path that led back to the coastline we were on before. This was a tidal island; we would need to wait for low tide to get back inland.

Thunder crashed along the sky and I gazed skyward. More dark clouds were rolling in. I looked back down to Luigi and Peach walking over to me.

"Are you all right, Mario?" Peach asked and I nodded.

"Mostly," I murmured.

"Well, at least we stopped that Gooper Blooper," Luigi laughed and stretched.

I smiled. "Yeah, and survived blowing the ship back into the sea."

"Well, hooray for you," bellowed a familiar voice, accompanied by slow applause.

No.

Luigi and Peach whirled around first, and I slowly turned after them. Daisy, Yoshi, and the Toads backed up toward us.

Hovering down past the trees came eight Junior Clown Cars, one Koopa Clown Car, and an old Magikoopa on his broomstick. Junior and the Koopalings, Kamek, and Bowser.

"Did you fools miss me?" he taunted. "I see you've been very busy, as of late. Why don't we catch up on a few things?"

Bowser's fiery red eyes glared straight into mine. This would not end well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There, that's it! Congratulations, you survived this ridiculously long chapter!
> 
> Yes, I really wanted Mario to interact with Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, and especially Daisy. (Yeah, that's right, newcomer development! What!) Originally, when I planned out the chapter, I was all, "First a letter, then Mario talks to Daisy, they level, he almost reveals his secret relationship, blah blah, they clear the third world, and Bowser shows up for the cliffhanger."
> 
> But then, I was all, "Nah, go big or go home," and decided to toss in the Bowser scene, add Mario interactions with the other three, and have the world exploration through an aftermath perspective. (Really, when does Mario get to go back and witness the damage he's done? Answer: never!) So, that was my process for the suddenly super lengthy chapter, which crammed everything in because I couldn't think of a way to make this a disgusting three part event. (Those will come in later!)
> 
> Ok, this chapter is already grotesquely long, so less blabbering from me. Questions, comments, concerns, criticisms, and anything else can be sent to me via review or message. Oh, quick note, since someone mentioned that they weren't sure about long reviews: I enjoy any and all kinds of reviews, long and short, so if you have a lot to say, don't you dare ever hold back on me! FEED ME ALL OF YOUR OPINIONS, I LOVE THEM! Seriously, so long as I don't get reviews or messages that are all, "ew, gays for mario is gross. LOL f4g0ts," you're fine, and those messages are promptly deleted because I don't tolerate insults to anyone, from anyone, or how ever you want to spin that, because that's crass and not helpful criticism. (Pleasantly, I only had that happen once so far, but I doubt that will be the only instance.)
> 
> Yuck, ok, let me kick that soapbox away, because that wasn't totally necessary. That's it for now, next chapter is the one you're all waiting for: MARIO AND BOWSER HAVE WORDS WITH ONE ANOTHER! Oh, and ten-on-ten beach brawl, yes that. (I did plan this, yes. I is smarts, sometimes.) I know I say this a lot, but thank you very much for reading this far, and I'm so sorry for this super long chapter! The next one will most likely not be as long, so we can all rest easy.


	19. A Showdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a clash: Bowser and the Koopalings vs Mario and his friends! They'll be paired off in individual battles and fight for Mario's freedom, or imprisonment. Who will win?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I told you this chapter wouldn't be as long as the last one? Well, that was mostly true. I just lied about it not being long. Ohohoho…I don't plan these things out very wisely.
> 
> Hmm…oh well! BEEEAAAAAACH BRRRRAAAAAAWWWLLLL! Have fun bouncing around from fight to fight!
> 
> Oh, and I did a thing at the beginning. It's…idk, ugly, but just go with it. Uh…make sure you have the time to read and enjoy!

_A beating heart lets you know you're alive. It races as your emotions stir. Tensions flare up as dire situations rise._

_Both war and love are untamed beasts. No matter how well we may know this, they somehow manage to catch us off guard, repeatedly._

_Looming in our minds are great fears; our inner demons claw from the inside to burst out and tears us apart._

_As a day begins, we can play around these problems and try to control the damage that could occur. But by day's end, these plans unravel in twisted ways we failed to predict._

_Challenging our people, our society, and ourselves was never the easy route to travel, but it's the only way we know._

_The questions: when and where can we stop? How do we know our limits? Who can see us, and what we strive for? Why is peace so far out of reach?_

_Are untamed beasts always meant to be?_

* * *

 

Bolts of lightning flash in the sky above the island. The trees sway with the howl of the wind. Bowser grins menacingly as the Toads protectively line up in front of Peach.

"Well, well," the Koopa King snickers. "The gang's all here! How cute. I must admit, Peach, I'm impressed!" He lowers his eyes briefly and adds: "You've finally learned to use every able body from your castle to actually get things done." His eyes rise up as he glowers at her scepter. "And by any means necessary, I see."

"Bowser, just what is the meaning of this?!" Peach demands.

"The only thing we ever meet for, Princess," he taunts. "I'm here for a kidnapping."

"Back off, Bowser!" shouts the Yellow Toad, choking down the fear in his throat.

"Yeah, we're not going to let you take Peach!" chimes in the Blue Toad.

"Peach?" Bowser chuckles softly, which builds into a larger burst of laughter. "You think I'm here for Peach? Please! I've been down that road far too many times to handle, regardless of how much easier it is." Calming his voice, he points forward, directly to his target. "No, I'm here to kidnap Mario."

Mario grits his teeth as his friends quickly exchange fearful expressions.

"You have no need of him!" snaps Peach and holds her scepter up. "Keeping Mario will not be getting you any progress with your conquest."

"I did notice that, thank you for pointing it out," Bowser huffs. "Problem is, I still need him for, ah, personal matters. That, and considering how great your odds are with rescuing prisoners, I highly doubt you'll be saving him a second time in a row through crude and unconventional means."

For a moment, everyone waits in silence. Daisy breaks it by piping up, "When exactly did Bowser learn how to talk on a more intelligent level?"

"Sooner than you got up off your flowery pedestal that you comfortably rest your ass on," shrugs Bowser with a level voice. "Time's are changing, huh?"

"Ok, for that, I'm taking him down myself," fumes Daisy.

"Daisy, cool it," cautions Luigi. "He's just trying to bait you."

"Bait her? That would imply that she's useful," goads Bowser.

With a spike of rage, Daisy runs forward, only to be cut off by Wendy.

"Move," demands Daisy. "Or do you really need an obligatory cat fight?"

"Cat fight?" asks Wendy. "Do you have a Super Bell?"

Daisy slaps a hand to her forehead. "…I don't even know why—"

A punch from Wendy's Junior Clown Car sends the fiery princess flying across the beach. The Blue and Yellow Toads rush forward, attacking Larry and Lemmy, who force the two away from the crowd.

"Bowser, please!" pleads Mario. "There's no need for this! For any of it!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," mocks Bowser, "are you trying to reason with me?"

"Mario, there's no sense," argues the Red Toad. "We'll just have to wallop them."

"Big talk from a little Toad," chuckles Roy.

"This little Toad was clever enough to slip through your defenses," spat the Toad.

"Ah, see, that's where you're wrong," corrects Roy. "You got through the castle's defenses. You haven't seen anything about me, not yet."

The Koopaling drives his Clown Car after the Red Toad, while also forcing Mario and his friends to separate. As Roy chases the Red Toad off, Iggy and Morton swoop after the Green and Purple Toads that remain.

"Bowser!" Mario shouts.

"What are you waiting for?" asks Bowser. "This isn't any different from how it usually goes, is it?" He pauses and watches Mario bite his lip. "Oh, I suppose it is. All of your little friends are out here, in the open." Bowser grins wickedly. "Makes them easy targets to pick off, huh?"

"We'll see who's an easy target," murmurs Yoshi, as he raises an egg and aims it at Bowser. Before anyone can notice him, he fires it.

Ludwig, however, moves his Clown Car to intercept the attack. "Now, now, that's quite rude."

"Luigi, let's get him," Yoshi waves the plumber forward. "Princess, Mario, you handle Bowser and his son."

"Wouldn't a magical duel be more appropriate for her current interests?" questions Kamek. "And I'm afraid I have quite the vendetta against filthy dinosaurs like you."

Swiftly, the Magikoopa whips out his wand and wraps Peach and Yoshi in a spell to pull them away. Ludwig gives chase.

Mario and Luigi glance around to find their friends are scattered across the beach, fighting with Bowser's minions. A rumble of thunder and crashing tides obscure the shouts and punches from each fight.

"All right, they're out of the way," notes Luigi. "Bowser, I know you're dating Mario."

"How cute, you actually told him," Bowser ridicules Mario. "Good thing I already told my son as well."

"Why are you doing this?" demands Luigi. "There are a lot of ways this can be sorted out, and Mario is definitely willing—"

"Exactly why are you speaking in his defense?" inquires Bowser. "This is between us, not you."

"He's my brother," defends Luigi.

"And he's so much more to me," snaps Bowser.

"Please, Bowser—" Mario pleads.

Bowser scoffs, "You want to talk? Why don't we go somewhere private for that?"

Roughly, the Koopa Clown Car surges forward, knocks Luigi away, and grabs Mario with a pincer. With a roar, Bowser maneuvers it up and past several trees, flying to the center of the island.

Recovering, Luigi jumps up and runs to give chase, but Junior intercepts him.

"Move out of my way, kid," commands Luigi. "I need to go save my brother."

"And my Papa wants to have his boyfriend back," assesses Junior. "I'm sick of you people trying to ruin my family!"

"Right now, you're ruining mine!" thunders Luigi.

"Good, consider it payback," snarls Junior and lunges his Junior Clown Car at the plumber. Luigi flips away from the assault and dashes forward to attack Junior.

* * *

 

**[Blue Toad versus Larry]**

Larry spins his light blue Junior Clown Car at the Blue Toad and slams him across the beach. The Toad rolls across the sand and into a tide that crashes over him.

"Ha! I'm already winning this," sneers Larry.

"Not yet…you're not," pants the Blue Toad as he pushes himself up from the water.

"Please, don't bother," advises Larry. "Look around you: not a power-up around for days. Face it, half-pint, you're doomed."

"From where I am, it feels like I'm still standing," the Toad announces and balls his hands into fists.

"Yeah, but not for much longer!" Larry laughs and drives his Clown Car at the Toad.

Blue Toad leaps into the air and jumps down hard on Larry's head. He bounces off, and the force sends Larry's Clown Car into the sand. It overheats and the Koopaling abandons it.

"You don't look so high and mighty now," mocks the Toad.

With a growl, Larry whips out a wand. "When did Toads grow spines?" He snarls and casts a blue fireball from his wand.

The Toad leaps over it and jumps for Larry's head, stomping down on him again.

In an outrage, Larry slips inside of his shell and spins around. He torpedoes himself after the Blue Toad, who jumps away from the shell and rolls across the sand as another wave crashes down on both of them.

Rattled, the Koopaling pops out from his shell and wildly looks around, unable to find his opponent.

"Where did he…?" softly ponders Larry.

Just as the Koopaling shifts his gaze upward, he only has the time to let his mouth drop open as the Toad crashes down once more over his head.

Delivering a powerful kick, Blue Toad leaps from Larry and sends the Koopaling into the sand.

"This…isn't over!" groans Larry, just before another wave of water slams down over him.

The tide drags him out into the water, along with his Clown Car, which he scrambles for. Barely getting in, Larry cries out as the water swirls around and capsizes his vessel.

"Guess that's the end of him," laughs the Blue Toad and he turns to find the others.

* * *

 

**[Purple Toad versus Morton]**

Morton fires cannonballs at the Purple Toad, who runs to a field of gray stones. The Toad leaps from one stone to the next, listening to the rocks break from each blast.

"Hold still, you little pest," calls Morton as he fires from his black Clown Car's cannon once again.

"Somehow, that doesn't seem like the best idea," quips the Toad as he jumps to another stone.

By carefully jumping around in a circle, the Purple Toad is able to mount his own attack on Morton and stomps down on the Koopaling.

Though he is shoved to the sand, Morton simply growls and heaves his Clown Car back out. "You're making me fairly angry, and that's something I would advise you against."

"Ha, who are you trying to fool?" the Purple Toad inquires. "You may be the strongest of the Koopalings, but you must be one of the slowest and definitely not one of the brightest. Mouth off about your muscles all you want; I'll outwit you easily!"

"You were warned!" roars Morton.

The Koopaling jumps from his Clown Car and slams down to the ground, sending a shockwave across the sand and shattering stones.

A draft from the wave knocks the Purple Toad off balance and he falls backwards.

Morton chuckles, "Where's that cleverness you promised me?"

He stomps forward and takes out his wand. The Purple Toad jumps up from the ground and dashes around the sand, kicking up clouds of dust as he runs.

"What are…you doing?!" coughs Morton.

"Outsmarting you," laughs the Toad.

Growling, Morton lifts one leg and stomps the ground. A tremor emits around him, sending a pulse that expands and quakes across the sand. Once again, the Toad falls over from the wave.

With a whip of his wand, Morton clears the dust away and glares at the Toad on the ground. "Still waiting," the Koopaling taunts.

Quickly, the Purple Toad kicks up sand at Morton's eyes and attempts to run off.

Flicking the sand away with his wand, Morton laughs and leaps up into the air. He crashes down hard and sends a focused quake rumbling across the ground.

Its pulse eventually catches up to the fleeing Toad, sending him soaring into the sky and sailing off into the distance.

"To think he actually wanted to make me angry," snorts Morton as he trudges back to his Clown Car.

* * *

 

**[Daisy versus Wendy]**

Daisy lifts herself up, and hears the splashes as she rises. She steps backwards and realizes that she's on the submerged sand strip that leads back inland. The princess gazes back and sees only water between her and the main shore.

Wendy sails up on her Clown Car and giggles, "Well, well, all washed up already, little princess?"

"You're one to talk, you little brat," snaps Daisy.

"How dare you!" screeches Wendy, and she throws a hammer from her pink Clown Car. Daisy jumps backwards to evade it.

"That all you got?" taunts Daisy. "Your creep of a father would be disappointed."

"He's not my father," hisses Wendy. "But when I'm through with you, he'll wish he was!"

The mouth of the Clown Car opens and a cannon emerges from it. Wendy charges it as Daisy shuffles in her footsteps, unsure of where the Koopaling will fire it.

Abruptly, Daisy stops moving and waits as Wendy takes aim.

"Don't make this too easy, darling," mocks Wendy and fires the cannonball.

Princess Daisy waits and jumps over the cannonball, as it whizzes beneath her.

"This is way too easy," laughs Daisy as she approaches Wendy.

"You want me to make it harder?" grumbles Wendy. Then, she shouts, "Consider it done!"

Wendy draws out her wand and waves it to fire a glowing golden ring at the ground. It rebounds off of the sandy trail and shoots up at Daisy, who bends backwards to dodge it.

"Not bad," relents Daisy, "but not great either."

Fuming, Wendy casts out another two golden rings at Daisy, who dodges both. Daisy jumps up and stomps down onto Wendy's head.

"Oh man, you're as slow as you are dumb," teases Daisy.

"I will ruin you!" screams Wendy and she throws out another hammer.

Daisy leaps back and evades the crashing hammer, laughing as she does so, and outraging Wendy.

Again, Daisy maneuvers around Wendy, jumping onto the Clown Car, and bouncing off of Wendy's head.

"This is way too easy," snickers Daisy.

"That does it!" shrieks Wendy.

The Koopaling whips her wand around in the air and casts out another golden ring, which again misses Daisy. This time, however, she casts a spell into the air and knocks the first golden ring back down with a second one.

It rebounds back down and the ring spikes off of Daisy, shoving her to the ground in a splash.

"Ah-ha-ha-ha!" laughs Wendy. "I suppose that makes you the easy one now, dear!"

Wendy points her wand at Daisy's head as she picks it up from the sand. She balls up her fists and grits her teeth.

"Sorry Mario," the princess whispers and presses her fingers and knuckles together.

A faint turquoise glow emits around her hands and shines as Wendy attempts to unleash an attack.

"W-What is this?!" demands Wendy.

Crystals grow around Daisy's fists as the Regal Rings luster with light. It slowly fades as Daisy rises and pulls back one of her crystallized fists.

"No…no way!" Wendy cries.

"Coming through!" Daisy shouts and throws a punch directly at Wendy's Clown Car.

The ship rockets back and sends Wendy sailing across the sky and off into the distance.

Daisy grins as the Koopaling disappears from her sight, but looks down at her crystal-encased hands, balls them back into fists, and slowly frowns.

* * *

 

**[Green Toad versus Iggy]**

Iggy winds up several Mechakoopa robots and keeps them ready aboard his ship. The Green Toad peeks out from behind a tree, but realizes too late that he's been sighted.

"Come on out!" cackles Iggy as he tosses a Mechakoopa. It clatters along as it sneaks behind the tree and explodes.

The Koopaling waits a moment, but then sees the Toad pop up from behind another tree, further from the explosion.

"Lucky you," hisses Iggy.

"Oh, sorry, was that your best?" taunts the Green Toad.

"Not even close!" snaps the Koopaling and throws another three Mechakoopas at the Toad, who disappears behind the tree again.

Two explosions go off quickly, but the third one doesn't come. Iggy adjusts his glasses in confusion.

"There should have been a third blast," he murmurs.

"And there will be!" laughs the Toad's voice. Iggy wildly looks around to find him, but is unable to.

Instead, he hears a plop nearby him and slowly turns to see the Mechakoopa ready to blow.

Screaming, Iggy jumps clear of his light green Clown Car, narrowly evading the explosion.

"That little…!" he growls, only to have the Toad bounce off of his head.

"So much for the mechanical maniac!" giggles the Green Toad and zips behind a tree once again.

"You're…driving me…crazy!" wails Iggy.

In a frenzy, Iggy pulls out his wand and casts out erratic green fireballs. They bounce around the two trees that the Toad uses for cover and forces him out.

Quickly, Iggy sprints forward and whacks the Toad on the head, laughing wildly. The Green Toad turns to run away, only to have Iggy pop up on the other side of him.

"And where do you think you're going?!" barks Iggy.

He blasts the Toad away with a close range spell, knocking him backwards into a tree. Dazed, the Green Toad attempts to get back up, but is reeling from Iggy's consecutive attacks.

Glancing up, Iggy wears a twisted grin and fires another three spells to knock down a coconut from the tree. It spikes off of the Green Toad's head and he falls back down to the ground.

"Ohohohohoho!" Iggy maniacally laughs. He then coughs and clears his throat. "You certainly had that coming," he sneers at the fallen Toad.

* * *

 

**[Red Toad versus Roy]**

Roy glides his red Clown Car after the Red Toad, who races across the shoreline and bolts behind a large brown stone.

"Like that's going to save you," mocks Roy.

He moves the Clown Car up to the stone and activates its fists, punching and shattering the boulder to pieces.

However, the Toad is nowhere in sight. Roy taps on his sunglasses and looks around.

"Think you're clever, don't ya?" calls Roy. "There's nowhere to run, twerp."

"I don't run, I plan!" Red Toad shouts from behind the Koopaling, as he jumps onto and off of Roy's head.

Growling, Roy leaps from his Clown Car and pounds his fists together.

"You want to play tough? I can do tough," snickers Roy.

Red Toad readies himself as Roy lowers his arm in front of his body and charges forward. He jumps and watches as the Koopaling struggles to stop before a tree.

"Guess you're not so tough," teases the Toad as he jumps up into the air and crashes down onto Roy's head once again.

Roy pulls out his wand and casts a purple fireball from it. It whizzes by the Toad, who ducks to evade it.

Following up on the spell, Roy kicks off of the tree Ground Pounds the sand and a shockwave rockets forward, knocking the Toad backwards.

"Lucky shot," coughs the Toad as he leaps back up.

"Luck's got nothing to do with it," Roy calls, and whips his wand to cast another two fireballs, one high and the other low.

Waiting for the right moment, the Red Toad jumps over the low fireball and quickly ducks to dodge the high one.

Just as he rises up, however, Roy charges into the Toad and sends him rocketing back to the water.

Red Toad bounces along the shoreline, splashing against the ebbing tide. He forces himself up again as a pulse fires across the sand.

"I'm not going down that easily," grunts the Toad as he jumps up and over the tremor. He lands back down and sighs.

Gazing back up, however, the Toad is unable to find Roy.

Astonished, the Toad falters in his footsteps. "W-Where did he—?!"

"Guess who?!" shouts Roy.

Before the Toad can whirl around, Roy pops up from his Junior Clown Car and fires out another purple fireball.

The Toad slips and manages to evade it, but gawks as he looks up to find Roy slam back down to the ground, sending another shockwave.

"I'm not done yet!" insists the Red Toad and he manages to leap over the pulsing sand.

"Yes you are," laughs Roy, as the Toad falls down onto an exploding Mechakoopa and rockets off into the distance. "So long, chump!"

* * *

 

**[Yellow Toad versus Lemmy]**

The Yellow Toad darted around the sand, running off from the bouncing balls that Lemmy threw from his yellow Clown Car.

"Hey, you're not even trying to go after them," moans Lemmy as his latest shot misses its mark.

"Right, so you'll blow them up on me?" snaps the Yellow Toad.

"Noooo," insists Lemmy and giggles as he volleys out another ball.

It lands hard in front of the Toad and he skids to a halt. Lemmy floats forward and lifts another ball over his head.

"Bye-bye!" he laughs and throws the ball.

Yellow Toad jumps up, bounces off the top of the ball, and soars into the air.

A flash of lightning blinds Lemmy and he struggles to watch as the Toad comes crashing down over his head.

"Ouch!" cries Lemmy as his Clown Car slams into the sand. It explodes and fires him outward.

"Are you done yet?" asks the Yellow Toad as he rolls into a landing.

"Nope, not yet!" laughs the dizzy Koopaling.

To prove it, Lemmy whips his wand and manifests a giant, yellow bouncing ball with orange stars. He hops on top of it and rolls it around after the Toad.

"Come on, stay there so I can bowl you over!" demands Lemmy.

"No thank you!" wails the Yellow Toad.

Unfortunately, the Toad trips over a stone that he fails to spot. Lemmy laughs as he rolls over the Toad.

"Ha! Perfect!" the tiny Koopaling giggles and bounces around on top of his ball.

Dazed, the Yellow Toad struggles to lift himself up from the ground, only to have Lemmy come crashing down over his head again.

"Got you again!" laughs Lemmy. "One more should do it!"

As the Koopaling rolls his ball after him again, the Toad jumps up and runs off.

"Aw, don't ruin it!" Lemmy whines and manifests a smaller ball to ricochet at the Toad.

However, the Yellow Toad pivots and bounces up onto the ball. He plummets down, and bounces off of Lemmy's giant ball.

"What the…?!" shouts Lemmy.

"Surprise!" cheers the Yellow Toad as he rockets off up, causing Lemmy to flop off of his giant ball.

The Koopaling struggles to rise up again, and the Toad crashes down onto his head.

"That was…wild…!" laughs the winded Koopaling as he falls over into the sand. The Toad waits for a moment, but Lemmy doesn't pop up again.

"Phew," sighs the Yellow Toad. "Glad that's over." He grabs a fallen ball and dribbles it as he glances around to find his friends.

* * *

 

**[Peach & Yoshi versus Ludwig & Kamek]**

Peach and Yoshi roll across the sand as Kamek releases them from his spell and flies overhead. Ludwig pulls out his wand and joins the Magikoopa.

"Two scepters against one?" assesses Ludwig. "This fight will be ours easily."

"So, you haven't faced a royal's magic yet, have you?" questions Kamek.

"Does that make a difference?" asks Ludwig.

"You have no idea," murmurs Kamek.

"Princess!" Yoshi forces himself up and hurries over to Peach as Ludwig casts a spell to summon three blue fireballs.

The flames rain down toward the two as Peach scoops up her scepter and creates a shield from the water nearby.

"Huh. Pretty clever," admits Ludwig.

"She's just getting started," observes Kamek.

"That I most certainly am!" thunders Peach.

Using her Royal Scepter, Peach morphs the water into a javelin and fires it at Kamek. Ludwig intercepts the attack, at the cost of his blue Clown Car, which plummets from the sky.

Kamek flies below Ludwig, catches him, and heaves the Koopaling onto his broom.

"All right, you weren't kidding," breathes Ludwig.

Yoshi produces another egg and aims it carefully at the broomstick. He lobs it up and scores a direct hit on it, with the broom spiraling around.

"Rotten little pest," hisses Kamek as he regains control of his broom. "His kind have given me problems for more years than I can count."

"Want me to end it for you?" cheerfully offers Yoshi.

"No thank you, I can take care of the problem myself!" yells Kamek and he fires a hex down at Yoshi.

Sand bursts from the ground and blocks the hex, knocking the square and triangle shapes to dust. It lowers again upon Peach's command.

"You're trying the limits of my patience, royal brat," snaps Kamek.

"Funny," quips Peach. "You've already sent me beyond mine."

A flash of lightning lights up the sky, and Peach hoists her wand up toward it. A bolt cracks down from the air and into her rod, which she then redirects at Kamek's broom.

"Oh no, I'm not sitting back for that," grumbles Ludwig as he whirls his wand around and spews another series of fireballs at Peach.

Yoshi launches a batch of eggs to block each fireball and laughs as Ludwig winces.

Kamek whisks another hex, creating a circular shield shape. Peach lowers her scepter and smiles.

"Tell me, does that shield make you feel safe?" questions Peach.

"It did until you opened your mouth," notes Kamek.

"Good answer," agrees Peach and presses her hand over the head of her rod. The heart begins to glow with a bright blue light.

"What's…what's she doing?" inquires Ludwig.

"Probably charging her lightning bolt enough to shatter through my defense," mutters Kamek.

"Do something!" cries Ludwig.

"I'm afraid she'll match whatever spell I try to counter with," bemoans Kamek as he whips his spell to create two more layers to the shield.

"She can't be that powerful!" roars Ludwig as lobs a larger and more powerful blue fireball down at Peach and Yoshi.

Princess Peach takes a step back and thrusts her scepter forward, with a crackle of lightning ripping from the tip.

The surging bolt of lightning pierces through Ludwig's giant fireball, breaking it to bits and ashes. It shatters through each layer of Kamek's shield, blasting each piece apart before electrocuting the broomstick, Kamek, and Ludwig.

"Nice shot," nervously muses Yoshi.

"Thank you. Let's keep the pressure up," advises Peach.

Ludwig and Kamek fall from the sky and crash through tree branches, down to the ground. Peach and Yoshi hustle over as the two force themselves up and ready their wands.

"Are you still trying to hide behind those?" taunts Peach. "I thought I had already proven that it's useless."

"We have a better chance with them than without," observes Kamek.

"She means that you should surrender," explains Yoshi, to which Peach nods.

"No chance," snarls Ludwig.

Peach shrugs, "As you wish."

She waves her scepter and causes coconuts to rain down over Kamek and Ludwig, who raise their wands and fire spells to deflect the falling fruit away.

Yoshi, however, sneaks around and flutter jumps around the tree, stomping down first onto Kamek, and then Ludwig. He flips backward and rushes back to Peach.

"Is that…all you've got?!" booms Ludwig.

"To be honest, I didn't think they'd be standing after all that," Yoshi admits to Peach.

"They won't be for much longer," assesses Peach. "That bolt has certainly taken its toll on them."

"Rubbish," spits Kamek and he fires another series of hexes at Peach and Yoshi. Yoshi tosses an egg to block the first one, while Peach raises more sand to block the rest.

Ludwig attempts to follow up and sends out another fireball, but Peach freezes it in the air.

"You have got to be joking," grunts Ludwig.

"Didn't anyone teach you about playing with fire?" scoffs Peach as she pulls the blue fireball closer to her. It hovers over her hand and a pink beam slowly encases and expands it.

Kamek lobs another trio of hexes at Peach, who drops her hand from the fireball and rockets it directly through the spells. Each shape bursts as the flames plow through them and crash before Ludwig and Kamek, engulfing them in a pillar of pink fire.

Peach concentrates her rod on the pillar, smirking as it burns. Yoshi's eyes widen as it continues to billow, unrelenting.

"Princess…" Yoshi murmurs as she continues to focus on the flames. "Princess Peach," his voice grows louder, "stop!" When she refuses to listen, Yoshi grabs her arm, yelling, "Peach, that's enough!"

Blinking, Peach drops her arm and watches as the flames die down. Kamek and Ludwig are coated in pink smoke, barely breathing.

Hastily, Princess Peach runs back to the water, whips it up with her scepter, and taps the heart jewel to make the water pulse with a bright blue light. Carefully, she guides the water over her fallen opponents and pours it down upon them, with the pink smog dissipating as the water splashes over the two.

Kamek and Ludwig gasp for breath as they shoot up from the ground. The Magikoopa glares at Peach through his spectacles and wraps a spell around himself and Ludwig, warping the two away.

"Peach, what was that?" fearfully asks Yoshi.

Unable to answer, Peach drops her scepter and stares at her trembling hands.

* * *

 

**[Luigi versus Junior]**

Luigi leaps back from a falling hammer and rolls between several trees.

"Like that'll save you," snickers Junior as the rain begins to fall.

The green Junior Clown Car opens its mouth and produces a cannon, which Junior charges and fires right at the trees. Luigi dives away as the cannonball rips through the tree trunks.

"Can't you just give up?" whines Junior.

"You wouldn't understand," calls Luigi as he pushes himself back up from the sand. "I don't serve my brother with blind loyalty. I care for him. He doesn't need to indoctrinate me to follow in his footsteps."

"If you're trying to tell me that I don't love my Papa, you're wrong!" snaps Junior.

"No, I'm sure you love him, but your views are misguided," explains Luigi.

"They're not," protests Junior. He flings another hammer at Luigi, who dodges it.

"What you're doing is wrong, Bowser Junior," insists Luigi. "It's not your fault; I blame your father for forcing you to think that what you're doing is right."

"I am doing the right thing!" shouts Junior. "I'm trying to make my Papa happy and he will be once Mario comes home with us!"

"Forcing him against his will won't solve that," argues Luigi.

"So keeping him away will make everyone happy? Is that it?" demands Junior.

"Junior, you don't understand—"

"What don't I get?" asks Junior. "Papa loves Mario, and Mario loves him back, right? It's not like what everyone thinks about with them and Peach; it's real. So why shouldn't they be together?"

"Not everyone likes the idea of it," clarifies Luigi.

"It's not their relationship! It's none of their business!" snaps Junior. "This is why Papa needs to rule the whole Mushroom Kingdom. It'll stop people from thinking stupid things and judging what makes other people happy."

Luigi shakes his head. "See, that's the complete wrong way to go about it."

"Who cares about right and wrong?" bursts Junior. "If Peach's way is the right way, then Papa and Mario should be able to be together with us and be happy! But they can't be, and that's wrong!"

"It's not that simple," defends Luigi. "The two of them being together would throw a lot of things out of balance and force everyone to question almost everything they think they understand!"

"Are you afraid of that?" questions Junior. "You don't want Mario with my Papa, do you?" Luigi doesn't answer immediately and Junior growls. "I knew it! You're just as bad as anyone else! Why wouldn't you help your own brother?!"

"I'm trying to," protests Luigi.

"No, no you're not," accuses Junior. "You're probably angry because Mario didn't tell you right away. My Papa didn't tell me either, and he even lied to me about it." Junior glanced to the ground, and continued, a little more softly, "But he did that because he was scared of hurting me, and then he took time to explain it to me." The young Koopa Prince picked his head up and glared at Luigi. "I know Mario would have done the same with you. So why don't you want him to be happy? And why aren't you forgiving him?"

"Yes I do, I-I did," Luigi forces out.

"Don't lie," snaps Junior. "Family should stand up for each other no matter what. If I get that, why can't you?"

"Again, it's not that simple," repeats Luigi.

"Well it should be," grumbles Junior. "And I'm done trying to make you understand that."

Bowser Junior releases a Mechakoopa from his Clown Car, which rushes forward after Luigi.

Swiftly, Luigi leaps away from the ensuing explosion, and tries to stomp down on Junior's head. Reading his movement, Junior forces his Clown Car away as Luigi slams down to the ground.

Capitalizing on his error, Junior launches the Clown Car's pincers to snatch Luigi before he can move away. Laughing, Junior throws the plumber into a tree.

Wobbling, Luigi sinks to the ground and shakes his head. He forces himself back up and runs after Junior again.

"You can't fight this, Junior," Luigi manages. "This isn't the way."

"I already told you that I'm done talking," reaffirms Junior.

The Koopa Prince drives his Clown Car forward and spins it around to attack Luigi, who narrowly rolls away from the strike.

With a back flip, Luigi leaps and stomps down on Junior, smashing the Clown Car to the ground.

"Look, even if you're ok with what your father wants," Luigi presses on, "you can't force that will upon other people. Everyone should be free to make their own decisions and opinions of whatever matter they encounter."

Junior shoots the Clown Car's boxing fists out and pushes himself back up. "Then why is it ok for everyone else to tell us we're wrong?"

"You're using violence and oppression to instill a change!" thunders Luigi.

"Because no one listens to reason anyway!" fires back Junior.

"Like you?" challenges Luigi.

"I'm not listening to your reasoning because it's not helpful to my Papa or your brother," declares Junior. "I bet none of your friends even know, because if they did, they wouldn't be fighting back so much. At least my Papa is starting to tell everyone and wants everyone on his side! And I'm helping him! You should do the same for Mario instead of fighting back."

"By fighting back, I am doing the same for Mario," insists Luigi. "Bowser's methods are toxic and will only drain Mario of everything good he represents and gave the Kingdom and its people. Blindly forcing people to accept change they're not ready for is definitely not the way to go about this. You need to introduce it and help people build tolerance to it."

"And let my Papa suffer in the meantime? No thanks," spits Junior and lobs another hammer at Luigi. As Luigi dodges it, he launches a fist from the Clown Car, which plows Luigi into the ground and back toward the shore.

Once more, Luigi pushes himself up and pants heavily. Junior growls, and spews a fireball at Luigi. The plumber sidesteps it and races forward to stomp down on Junior again.

"At the end of the day…" Luigi calls, "…only Mario and Bowser can decide on this!"

"So why don't you let them?" questions Junior, as he pulls out a Bob-omb and tosses it as Luigi jumps up.

Unable to stop his momentum, Luigi flails as the Bob-omb connects and blasts him back down to the ground, spiraling and skidding across the sand, all the way back to the shoreline.

Junior glares and waits for Luigi to come running back into view. When he doesn't, the prince lets out a light laugh and drives his Junior Clown Car past the trees.

* * *

 

**[Mario versus Bowser]**

Bowser throws Mario down in the center of the island, which has the thickest amount of trees around.

"Enough!" He jumps back up and throws a punch down on Bowser. The Koopa King blocks it with his claw and shoves Mario back to the ground.

"Now, that's a poor way to start," growls Bowser.

"Start?!" snaps Mario. "Start what?! I'm not the one who just flew in from nowhere to assault everyone my boyfriend cares about!"

"So, we _are_ still boyfriends," hisses Bowser. "Funny, I didn't quite get that vibe, after the whole escape plot you carried out."

"You're going to hold that over on me?!" yells Mario. "You're the one who kidnapped me and locked me up in the first place!"

"I was working on it!" roars Bowser over a crash of thunder. "I even let you sleep in my room! At least I was trying to make a bad situation good and keeping you in the loop on practically everything!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" cries Mario.

"Besides the escape attempt?" blusters Bowser. "Oh, gee, how about the letter you wrote to your brother, where you actually question our relationship, well into actually having it?!"

"…What?!"

A broken edge sounds on Bowser's voice as he snaps, "Do the words 'are we worth it' sound familiar?!"

Mario's head jerks back as though the words hit him square in the nose as thunder sounds in the distance.

"Wow, not even a half-assed retort or plea against it?" sorrowfully scorns Bowser.

"That's not how I meant it," Mario tries to reason. "Bowser, it was to my brother—"

"I know damn well who it was addressed to!" rages Bowser's uneven voice. "I tore the blasted rubbish in half myself!"

"Bowser, please, I was trying to think of how my brother might view it," clarifies Mario. "And really, I wanted him to understand—"

"Yeah, bet a lot of good came from that one, huh?" challenges Bowser.

"That wasn't meant to call doubt to our relationship," Mario insists. "Please."

"Even if that wasn't, how about you leaving me?" accuses Bowser. "I thought you understood how much trouble I was going through just to keep you protected, safe, alive, with me. Why would you run off from me? You're going to tell me that you were just a little too homesick?"

Mario blurts out, "I was!"

"You could have told me that!" rants Bowser. "You could have told me about your problems! We could have actually tried working through problems as a couple! That's what you're supposed to do with the person you love, isn't it?! Not dart off at the soonest possible chance! Not wait for him to lower his guard so you can stab him straight in the heart!"

"It was for the Toad's sake!" yells Mario, rain falling onto his face. "I knew you were struggling with me around! I didn't want to make that harder or risk his life! I made the choice to run for all of us!"

"But you didn't even bother to explain that to me!" contests Bowser. "You didn't even try asking me my opinion, or let me know that you needed to get a friend out of the castle! You just assumed that I wouldn't do anything to help him!"

"No, I didn't!" persists Mario. "Yes, it wasn't right for me to keep that escape plot withheld from you, but I really wanted things to work out ok! I thought we could smooth everything over after I got him back safe and sound."

"Lies," grunts Bowser. "You're lying."

"Why would I lie about this?" pleads Mario. "I want our relationship to work just as badly as you do! Look, I even wrote you an apology letter," Mario mentions as he pulls the paper from his overalls. "I knew that leaving you was wrong, and I regret it the second that I left, but I had the best intentions in mind!"

Bowser stares at the letter and takes it from Mario. He nearly opens it, but stops himself short and crumples it up as lightning flashes in the sky.

"What are you doing?!" cries Mario.

"Excuses," snorts Bowser and tosses the paper ball back to Mario. "I don't want any part of them."

"Read it, please, just read it," begs Mario.

"No," grumbles Bowser. "I've had enough of this."

"Can't you just read it?" questions Mario.

"I already gave you my answer," growls Bowser as his voice rises.

"Please—"

"Enough!" roars Bowser and spews out a breath of fire. Mario barely manages to turn away from the flames that shoot forward at him.

The Koopa King clamps his claws over his mouth as his eyes widen with shock. Mario mimics this expression at first, but his eyebrows tighten as he glares at Bowser. Another flash of lightning strikes as a chorus of thunder rumbles.

Shaking his head, Bowser starts to apologize, "N-No, Mario. I…I didn't mean to—"

"Oh, you didn't mean to almost _fry_ me?" barks Mario and spikes his balled letter to the ground. "Just shut me up with a little bit of fire, singe me on the crispy side, is that it?"

"It was an accident, Mario, I lost control," justifies Bowser. "Please, I didn't—"

"Huh, why does the tone of this conversation feel familiar?" ridicules Mario. "Oh, right, we just flipped the tables! Now _you're_ the jerk and I'm beyond annoyed with your idiocy!"

Rain falls and drips down Bowser's face. "Mario—"

"No, you know what? We've put this off for too long," Mario slams his right fist into his left palm. "You and I are well over due for a classic beat-down."

"Wait, no, Mario!" pleads Bowser.

But it is too late, as Mario jumps up to hammer a punch down at Bowser. The Koopa King scoots his Koopa Clown Car back, evading each stomp and blow Mario throws at him.

"Stop, Mario! I'm not going to fight you, not like this," implores Bowser.

"Why not? This is exactly where we were going with this," Mario snaps. "Come on, it's our go-to for blowing off steam."

"We've fought enough already," shouts Bowser. "Look, that was stupid of me, and I'm sorry! Please, Mario, I don't want to fight you anymore."

Another crash of thunder sounds. "Tough luck for you."

Quickly, Mario kicks off of a tree and leaps over Bowser. The plumber bounces off from another tree and flips to Ground Pound the Koopa King.

Still, Bowser guides his Clown Car away from Mario's rampage, in a sturdy refusal to retaliate.

"I get it, I get it!" claims Bowser, his voice unsteady again. "This is how I was acting. I messed up. I get it! Come on, Mario!"

"Explain why I should listen," grumbles Mario.

"You're better than me!" admits Bowser. "Mario, you're always the more sensible one. I pick fights that you'd rather not have. I cause pain and mayhem, not you!"

In spite of this, Mario refuses to lower his guard. The rain pushes his cap down a bit, causing the brim to tip over his eyes.

"Mario, I love you," murmurs Bowser. "We can work through this. That's what you were trying to tell me."

"Yet, you didn't listen," shrugs Mario.

Bowser shakes his head, "You're right, and I'm truly sorry. Please, can't we just—"

"I think it's a little too late for that," retorts Mario.

Before Mario can move again, Junior bursts through the trees. "Papa!" cries the prince.

"Junior, stay back!" warns Bowser.

The child opens his mouth to question his father, but is interrupted by Roy, Iggy, and Morton also plowing through the trees.

"Hey, what's going on?" asks Roy.

"We'll save it for later," Bowser mutters as he reaches down and pulls up rope.

"Oh no, you are _not_ taking me back," spits Mario.

"Yes I am," asserts Bowser. "We're sorting this out one way or another, and I'm taking you back home with me."

"No, you're not," Mario raises his fists again.

Bowser sighs and waves his hand. "Stop him," he groans.

Under a flash of lightning, Junior and the three Koopalings use their Junior Clown Cars to spin into Mario and knock him around from four different angles. The dazed plumber's legs buckle as he slumps to the ground.

"Now, do it!" Bowser shouts as he tosses the rope out.

The Koopa King and his four subjects whirl around Mario and tie him tightly with the rope. In a matter of seconds, the Koopas have him tied up.

"One grouchy and uncooperative boyfriend for you, Lord Bowser," delivers Morton as he tosses Mario into Bowser's Clown Car.

"Uh…thanks," accepts Bowser. "…I think."

"Papa, what do we do now?" questions Junior.

"Where are Kamek and the other Koopalings?" inquires Bowser.

"I guess they lost their fights," assesses Iggy. "Though, I saw Kamek's magic dust popping up in the distance around various parts of the island."

"Then we're done here. Let's get going," commands Bowser, as he rides his Koopa Clown Car into the air. Junior and the Koopalings follow his lead.

Just as they begin to take off, however, a rustle sounds from beyond the trees. Peach, Daisy, and Yoshi dash forward and cry out as the watch Bowser's escape.

"Peach! He's got Mario!" announces Daisy.

"Stop! Let him go!" demands Yoshi as he lobs an egg into the air. Bowser pivots and spikes the egg back down to the ground.

"Mario! Don't worry, we'll get you down!" shouts Peach. "We won't let them get away again!"

"No, please, don't fight back," calls Mario. "I'll be fine, just wait until you can get home. You can rescue me later."

Reluctance fills the princesses' eyes, but both slowly nod as the Clown Cars soar off. Mario watches as tears line in Yoshi's eyes while the dinosaur drops to the ground.

The ships fly off and over the shoreline of the beach, where Mario watches two Toads gather three fallen Toads, along with Luigi. He winces as he attempts to study the pain his brother has sustained.

Luigi's eyes snap open just in time to see Mario taken away overhead. "Mario! No!" yells Luigi as he attempts to race after his brother and runs out into the water. The Blue and Yellow Toads manage to stop him before he rushes out too far.

"I'll be all right, Luigi!" cries Mario. "You'll get me back later!"

Desperately, Luigi struggles to fend off the Toads, but sinks to the ground when he realizes that Mario is too far away to be saved. A combination of rainwater and tears line under Luigi's eyes as he and the Toads miserably watch their enemies fly off with their hero.

"Um…I'm…sorry, Mario," Bowser lifts his hand to place it on Mario's shoulder, but the plumber bats it away with his face.

"Don't," snaps Mario, tears streaming from his eyes.

Bowser grits his teeth and leans against the edge of his Clown Car, quietly watching Mario sob as the rain pours and the thunder rumbles across the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And just like that, I can puncture holes into the ship that I'm trying to support! Go me! …Oh crap, ship sinking! Quick! Quick, fill in the leaks!
> 
> But yeah, nOTP'd Bowsario right here. Oops, they came to blows a little too critically. Oops, Bowser broke Mario. Oops, the kidnapping was successful. Whoops, oops, oops! (But, hey! They're back together again! …Please stop glaring at me.)
> 
> Anyway, lots of fighting from this chapter, which I billed a lot, so that was natural. What was really enjoyable was featuring the other cast outside of the leading couple. Can you believe how skilled Blue Toad is?! He totally moped the shore with Larry! …What? Doesn't anyone care about the little characters? (It's cool, they are just filler, so you don't have to pretend.) Unrelated note: I really wanted to use rain and lightning storms so badly, and I know it's pretty cliché to use that kind of weather during sad moments and fights respectively, but I couldn't pass it up.
> 
> Oh, just in case anyone misread this chapter, no, no one died and everyone lived. They just beat the stuffing out of one another. Because war. Moving on, what will the heroes do next?! Wait…who are the heroes again? …Uh…scratch that. What will Luigi, Peach, and friends do about being stranded on the island? Will the injured and wounded recover? (Spoilers: duh.) Can Bowser and Mario learn to love again? (More spoilers: double duh.) Does this story ever run out of terrible cliffhangers? Just what exactly will happen next?!
> 
> Unfortunately, that is all the time I have for you lovely people. The next chapter will be the 20th, which I guess is a significant milestone! Um…oh, did you guys know you can use cool filters to find this story, like it's in an exclusive club or something? Cool, right?! …People use filters, right? …Right?! Ok, whatever.
> 
> Any comments and criticisms are welcome, just send me a review or message. I very much love those from everyone ever, including the lovely website readers, cheerful guests, and the quiet stalkers that read along. Oh…wait, that's me. Which is odd, because I write this story. Uh…oops? Anyway, as always, sorry to punish you with long chapters, even though a lot of you did mention that you loved them and made me feel a lot better about it, and thank you for reading!


	20. A Gaffe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luigi and the others pick themselves up after the battle and return to Peach's Castle to assess their next strategy. Meanwhile, Bowser returns to his castle, where his troops quickly grow disgruntled with his actions…and what comes from it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, back to the shorter chapters. Don't groan in despair! They can't all be winners. …Huh. I'm feeling really self-conscious now.
> 
> But hey! 20 chapters, that's a milestone! (I think, anyway.) This story went places, and that's thanks to you super awesome readers! (Because I would have just left it alone if it was super unpopular, probably.) So take a bow, and thanks again!
> 
> Other than that, enjoy the latest!

**[Luigi]**

The rain continued to fall as I stared blankly across the water, and paid no attention as the drops hit my body. I'm seated on the sand, my arms hugging my legs and cap tilted over. My clothes were singed and torn in multiple places. There are scrapes and cuts visible on my skin, which sting under the soft gusts of wind and sand that pick up occasionally. A rumble of thunder sounds as I hear footsteps behind me.

"Luigi." It's Daisy, with an unusually even-tempered voice. "It's going to be low tide soon. We can leave soon."

Not turning away, I nod.

"Do you need me to pick you up?" Her voice is still trying to stay calm, but I can hear the agitation rising up.

In spite of that, I shake my head.

"We'll get him back, Luigi," she reassured me.

Still, I remain silent. This caused Daisy to march in front of me. Her yellow-orange dress was torn in several places, and she had a few scratches on her face, but nothing that kept me focused on her as I shifted my sights back to the water.

"All right, come on!" The princess finally reached her limit, patience lost. "I get it, we lost, and Mario got kidnapped. The world doesn't end here, ok? We just go back to square one, no big deal. Bowser isn't going to have his way with Mario, and we're going to win back this kingdom!"

"That's not it," my hollow voice echoed out as I shook my head.

"Then what's wrong?" Daisy demanded.

What would I tell her? That my brother was actually in a romantic relationship with the tyrannical king that constantly harasses her best friend and our kingdom? That each of the aches in my body remind me of a young child's questions and personal accusations against me? That his resolute resolve was strong enough to leave me replaying the fight over and over again in my mind, always ending with his last remarks:

_"Family should stand up for each other no matter what. If I get that, why can't you?"_

And even though it's only played for a few hours, it kept pestering my mind, shaking me to the core. Should I tell her the truth?

"Luigi, come on," Daisy insisted. "Talk to me."

"I just…don't understand…a lot," I confessed only that much to her.

"It's Bowser," she maintained. "There's nothing to understand; he just needs to be stopped. And…" Quietly, she added, "Maybe Peach is right. Maybe this should be a once and for all kind of deal."

The words flew out of my mouth as soon as they hit my mind: "That's not the answer."

"Then what is?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "But I know that isn't it."

Finally, I focused my attention away from the sea and onto Daisy's dark blue eyes. It had an odd mixture of emotions, but I couldn't quite make all of them out. I glanced down and noticed her rolling a turquoise crystal shard around in her hand.

"What is that?" I asked as I slowly stood up. A sharp pain rose through my legs, but I managed to rise.

She gazed down at it, and made a disgusted face. "A lousy reminder for myself."

Before I could inquire further, a pair of arms slipped under mine and pulled me back. Green. Yoshi.

"Sorry," he softly murmured.

He let me go after that, but remained near me. I turned around and stared at the five Toads: three were on the sand, bruised, battered, and unconscious. The two remaining Toads, Blue and Yellow, stood over their fallen comrades.

Separated from them, Peach was staring at the trees and the sky. She loosely held her scepter in one hand, with her other tightened into a fist.

"You're not the only one out of sorts," Daisy muttered to me. "So, hang in there and let's at least get home, ok?"

Quietly, I nodded and Daisy went to collect the Toads and Peach. Too curious, I had to ask Yoshi, "What happened to Peach?"

As I turned to look at him, he shook his head. "She nearly killed Kamek and Ludwig."

My mouth dropped open a bit. "Peach doesn't kill without cause."

"And she still hasn't," Yoshi optimistically affirmed. More solemnly, he continued, "But this was probably the worst I've seen her. Well, not possessed, anyway."

"That's not entirely accurate," I whispered as we watched Daisy put her hand on Peach's shoulder. At first, Peach didn't even move. Once Daisy gently shook her, the blonde princess turned to Daisy, with an empty expression plastered on her face.

"What's happening to us?" Yoshi wondered aloud.

War. Love. Magic. Any of those were the choice words to start with. Instead, I patted Yoshi on the back and remained silent.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

Slowly, I trudged from the hangar and into the halls that led back to the castle. The Koopalings had surged ahead, with Iggy, Roy, and Morton carrying Lemmy, Wendy, and Larry. Ludwig mentioned something to Kamek and Junior before following his siblings through the black stoned corridor. The two glanced back to me, but quickly resumed a separate discussion.

Gently, I placed Mario down against the right wall and sat in front of him. His blue eyes were puffy, maybe a bit bloodshot. His glare, however, was prominently above that, refusing to even return my gaze. To be fair, I still had him bound in the rope, and I had stolen him back from his friends. Still, I couldn't just tell him that he was right or send him back out.

"Look, I told you I was sorry," I started off, right on the defensive.

Mario, however, didn't answer. He wouldn't so much as look at me.

"Come on!" I growled. "You can't shut me out like this. What I did was stupid, fine. But I didn't know what else to do, all right? Diplomacy isn't in my repertoire."

He still wouldn't answer.

"The silent treatment is just as naïve of a way to handle this, you know!" I snapped.

And…that just didn't seem to faze him.

"Fine! Don't answer me!" I roared. "This doesn't solve or change anything!"

In my fit of rage I stomped away from him. Junior watched and hurried over to grab Mario, while Kamek strolled beside me.

"Sire, you should be a little more delicate in your approach—"

"I started with that!" I burst at him.

"Right, I heard. However, you need to maintain that—"

"What?! Stay soft? Hope that he'll miraculously forgive me?" I challenged. "No, he's mine, and I took him back. Simple as that!"

"Lord Bowser, he's not yours," murmured Kamek.

"Of course he is! I stole him…" and with that I paused.

"Yes, sire, you stole him," clarified Kamek. "That's how this whole thing started. Sure, you've fallen in love with him. That doesn't make him your property."

"No, but I didn't call him property!" I protested.

"The words, 'he's mine,' don't exactly respect an individual's worth," emphasized Kamek.

"Ok, point taken," I growled. "But—"

"You also stole him not once, but twice," pointed out Kamek.

"True, but—"

"And let's not forget that you are endangering the lives of his friends." Kamek quickly added.

"Fantastic!" I snarled. "Big news: I'm the bad guy!

"Sire—"

"Yes, I take what I want by force!" I ranted, lacing in sarcasm with each sentence. "What a shocker! It's the only way to ensure that I can get anything any more! It's not like being polite as ever worked in my favor! But what would any of those glorious angels of the Mushroom Kingdom know? They're not the ones that face judgment every day since they were born! They don't make the world cringe in fear just by walking outside and—"

"Lord Bowser!" thundered Kamek. "I am not your enemy, boy! We faced the same struggles, remember?"

"He didn't!" I pointed at Mario, who was flopped over Junior's shoulder. "He has no idea just how cruel this world is when it's against him!"

"Not yet," corrected Kamek. "He chose you, understand?" He turned to Junior and Mario, who Junior flipped around to face us. "You two still want to pretend to hate each other? Fine. But you both went down this path. There is no simple route to end the pain you've dealt with, or what you'll endure." He gazed down at his wand and tapped at the head. "You've already come this far; might as well see it through."

Without anything else to add, Kamek shuffled onward toward the castle. Junior picked up Mario again and followed, unintentionally forcing me to watch Mario the whole way back into the castle.

As the walls grew lighter, I tried to keep my eyes on them or on the dirt floor changing back to evenly tiled stones. But Mario kept a nasty glare on his face, and appeared to be directing it to me. I glared back, only to have my heart race.

Quite honestly, I would have thought I'd be safer from his persecution once we made our way back upstairs from the sublevels of the castle. But with every few steps, my annoyance grew.

_Who does he think he is?_

_I thought he loved me!_

_It's not like I walked out on him!_

_As if his brother could help out._

_Peach wouldn't even accept him!_

_Why won't he stop glaring?_

_This couldn't get worse._

Just as that last thought had buzzed through my mind, I heard an excited cheer, "Lord Bowser has returned!"

_Oh, for all of the kingdoms, here we go…_

Kamek glanced back uneasily at us; my troops only knew that we were going out to head off Peach's troupe. Therefore, their expectations would be…

"He's back already? Record time!"

"Hooray, this will great!"

My eyes shifted around at the delighted Koopa Troopas that lined the corridor we walked through, slowly becoming disheartened once they caught sight of Junior carrying Mario in. Goombas hobbled by, their expressions twisted from excitement to fear. A pair of Rexes waited near a large painting of myself, happily gossiping before catching sight of us, and then gasped. A Swooper flew in through an open window, but quickly flew back out.

Around the corner, a Spike passed and scratched his head. I stifled the only laugh I had in a while as a Magikoopa strolled straight into a desk while she gawked at us. Two Koopatrol tried to remain stoic as they guarded a vault door, but I caught their nervous stares. A Paragoomba floated about, but hid behind a chandelier once he noticed Mario.

And the further along we traveled in the castle, the more whispers started to fly around, making the trip back to my room ever more agonizing.

"What? He kidnapped Mario again?" I listened to a Monty Mole question a Koopa.

"Weren't they meant to snatch Princess Peach?" asked a Hammer Bro. to a Goomba.

"Maybe Bowser just enjoys the challenge in this," cackled a Boo to a Lakitu.

"The whole thing just seems, well, odd," a Rex commented to a Magikoopa.

"You know, we follow him pretty well, but this is just absurd," huffed a Paratroopa.

"Unbelievable," sighed a Buzzy Beetle.

My claws rolled into fists as Kamek tried to usher us quickly through the courtyard, where Magikoopa halted their spell practices to gape at us. More Goombas and Koopas popped up, along with a group of Shy Guys. I clenched my jaw as they kept up their decreasingly subtle comments going. It was between their words and Mario's narrowed gaze that fired me up.

"Is Bowser just this dumb, or his luck really terrible?"

"Hush, that's the king."

"Why should I care? He's been doing so awful lately…"

"It's not any different from before."

"Seriously?"

"Are we killing Mario this time, or is this more negotiation crap?"

And with that, smoke sizzled from my nostrils as my eyebrows twitched. We had stopped walking altogether as Junior glared at the troops gathered around. Kamek had hurried back to my side and patted on my arm, whispering something that I couldn't focus on.

"Why Mario again? The Koopalings should have helped, right?"

"Peach had to have been right there. What gives?"

"We're never going to control the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Wow, he's the worst. All hail the king of screw-ups, huh?"

"ENOUGH!" I bellowed as Kamek fell backwards. All eyes were focused on me. Damn my short, little fuse; it's worse than any Bob-omb I could think of.

"W…We have a r-right to know why, sire," voiced a red-shelled Koopa. "Mario will only get us revenge. Princess Peach will give us the chip we need for her kingdom."

"She won't, we're already at war for the Mushroom Kingdom," I shot back.

"Exactly, they'll surrender f-for her," quivered a green robed Magikoopa.

"Have they in the past?" I retorted. "They only send Mario to get her back!"

"Well they're st-still coming for him, too," a yellow hooded Shy Guy observed.

"Good, let's see them actually take him back," I snarled.

"But that's not the point, sire," complained a white robed Magikoopa. "We could finally have them—"

"Would you dare to challenge your King like this?" boomed Kamek.

"He-he hasn't delivered yet, s-so," started a green hooded Shy Guy.

"You think he won't?" challenged Junior. "My Papa knows what he's doing!"

A Goomba laughed. "Good to know that his son is clouded by his father's ambitions."

"Don't you dare insult my son, your prince, do you understand?!" I thundered.

"We'll show more respect when you actually lead us to what you've promised!" cried a black hooded Shy Guy.

"Yeah, grab the princess and force marriage or something!" chimed in a yellow-shelled Koopa.

My heart raced and my fists shook violently. "I've already tried that repeatedly! It's not worth it and I don't even love her as it is!"

That revelation shut them up for a good minute. A Goomba suddenly called out, "What?"

"I don't love Princess Peach," I repeated for them all to hear. "I don't know where that romance rumor came from, or why it runs so rampart within my own castle, but it's not true. I've never been in love with Peach, I only acted that way."

"But…but I really supported you two!" wailed an orange hooded Shy Guy.

"Even if you don't love Peach, what's with Mario?" questioned a blue-shelled Koopa.

"Can we finally kill him?" asked a gray robed Magikoopa.

"For the last time, NO!" I snapped. "We are not killing Mario!"

"Why not? He's killed tons of us," protested a pink hooded Shy Guy.

Too quickly, too loud, I answered, "Because I love…" and froze as a stillness settled in the air.

I watched as eyes widened from the various troops in the courtyard, with some dropping whatever staffs or wands they carried. My heart skipped a beat as I glanced over to Kamek, who gawked at me. I looked to Junior, who scratched at his head. Even Mario, who held an annoyed expression the entire time, raised his eyebrows over this.

Finally, a voice broke the silence with, "Is this a joke?"

Tightening my lips, I rolled my head back.

"O…Of course it is, you blithering idiots!" snapped Kamek. "What does it take for you to obey your King?"

"Not that, for sure," murmured a Magikoopa.

"Ugh, that would just be disgusting," shivered the red-shelled Koopa.

"Why?" asked Junior.

"He's the enemy!" shouted another Goomba.

"And…if he was…not?" asked Kamek.

"Well, what does it matter?" shrugged the green robed Magikoopa. "He is, so it's wrong."

"Right, yes, of course," waved Kamek off.

"Wait, Lord Bowser, you don't really love him, do you?" questioned the pink hooded Shy Guy.

"We told you that he didn't," spat Kamek.

"Then what's the harm in roughing him up some?" questioned the yellow-shelled Koopa.

"He's a valuable asset!" snapped Kamek. "We already knocked him around, along with his blasted little friends! There's no further need for retaliation."

"Of course there is!" cried out the gray robed Magikoopa. "He's slaughtered how many of our people? We should all get a chance at vengeance, not just the royal family and their closest companions!"

"Unless…does Bowser really love Mario?" repeated the pink hooded Shy Guy.

"N-No!" stumbled Kamek.

"You're…lying," observed the green robed Magikooopa.

"Seriously? He loves Mario?" the red-shelled Koopa questioned.

"Oh, no. No way," murmured another Goomba.

"So what if he does?" shrugged the yellow hooded Shy Guy.

"Because it's not Peach!" moaned the orange hooded Shy Guy.

"Because Mario's the enemy!" cried out the yellow-shelled Koopa. "We can't support a King that's in love with a man that murdered our people!"

"Hold on, we might be getting a little hasty," soothed the white robed Magikoopa.

My stomach dropped and I lurched back. Kamek whipped a spell to force me upright and shook his head. We returned our attention to the arguing crowd around us. I shook my head as I lost track of who mentioned what.

"This is insane!"

"It's not that bad."

"Are you joking?!"

"We could kill them both right now!"

"That's treason!"

"And drastic."

"Though we could rebel, right?"

"Should we?"

I stared blankly at the crowd while Kamek cast a binding spell around the whole courtyard and dragged me away from it. Junior carried Mario behind us as we slipped out and watched the crowd continue to argue with one another, hands waving and pointing in our direction.

One Magikoopa raised his wand and fired a spell, which ricocheted off of the magic barrier around them. It knocked into a Koopa, who fell on top of a Goomba. And suddenly, we witnessed the beginning of a brawl.

* * *

 

**[Luigi]**

"All right, hold still."

I winced as Toadette continued to clean out a heavy scrape along my side. The pink Toad with mushroom braids patted the wound dry and rubbed an ointment into it. After that, she covered it with a bandage and nodded for me to drop my shirt back over it.

"There you go. All set, Luigi!" Toadette cheered.

"Thank you," I mumbled and hopped up from the medical room's bed. I turned to leave but stopped short and turned back to her. "How are the other Toads?"

She shook her head. "Still not well. You're lucky that you've taken punches and can still jump up after." Toadette sighed. "Toads…aren't quite as durable as you or Mario," she explained. "Even Yoshi and the princesses would hold up better with getting battered around. Speaking of, Daisy left a while ago; she recovered pretty quickly, actually."

"I see," I murmured. "Well, thanks again, Toadette, and I'm sorry."

With a heavy sigh of my own, I lumbered through the halls and made my way back to Peach's throne room. In the center, Toadsworth shook his head and tapped his cane against the floor while Peach folded her arms and rolled her eyes. Yoshi and Daisy watched off to the side.

"Princess, this has become far too dangerous!" protested Toadsworth.

"It's always dangerous!" corrected Peach.

"My dear," argued Toadsworth, "three of our best Toads were battered around to the point where they've been rendered unconscious!" He coughed a bit. "Do you realize that we have not been able to solve that shortage of 1-Up Mushrooms? If they go out anytime soon, they could…die."

"Then they'll stay here," shrugged Peach. "But we can't."

"Princess, you must!" insisted Toadsworth. "You could die! Do you have any idea just how deeply that will harm this kingdom? Do you understand what that could do?"

"Toadsworth, I understand the risks!" retaliated Peach. "That can't stop me!"

"Have some sense!" retorted Toadsworth. He turned and noticed that I had walked in. "Just look at Luigi! Even he took a heavy beating! Poor Mario must have had the worst of it!"

"That's right!" Peach capitalized on the last part. "Mario took the worst of this. And while we're back here to get our wounds cleaned, he's at Bowser's Castle, suffering from who knows what!" She stomped her foot down. "We can't allow him to stay there! And if we need to risk our lives over it, then so be it!"

"There are others we could send—"

"No, Toadsworth," interrupted Peach. "We need to do this."

"She's right, Toadsworth," I stepped in. "It needs to be us." I shook my head. "What we faced, going up against the Koopalings and Bowser…it was a lot to handle. They fought with…I don't even know what kind of motivation, but it powered them so much and made them so…strong." Junior's words seeped into my mind and I shivered.

"Maybe you should stay here too, Luigi," Daisy recommended.

"Absolutely not," I refused. "They have my brother. I'm going there to get him back, and no one is going to stop me."

"There, you see?" Peach shot back to Toadsworth. "We all feel this way. We need to go get Mario back."

"Just the four of you?" questioned Toadsworth.

"Five."

Everyone turned back to the door and I spun on my heels. Toadette was briefly taken aback by the attention, but tightened her hands and stepped forward.

"Toadette, please," begged Toadsworth. "You can't go too. You must see reason, my girl!"

"What I saw was that my brothers had been wounded," she quaked as she spoke. "Well, not my actual blood brothers, not like family, but you know, my people…not important!" Toadette sighed and dropped her head before she continued. "Three Toads still need to recover and the other two want to remain behind to wait for their recovery. I don't want to force them out, but a Toad should always accompany the princess." She looked up at us with a smile. "I'm a Toad, and the others already have doctors and nurses treating them. I can go."

"But…Toadette…" murmured Toadsworth, still uneasy.

"That's the end of it, Toadsworth," asserted Peach. "The five of us will travel to the Glaciers and do whatever we can to keep winning this kingdom back." With a fierce determination in her voice, she added, "And once we're done, we _will_ rescue Mario and bring him back home."

Toadsworth pinched at his white mustache, still not content with the notion, but he relented enough to let the five of us marched out the door.

"Just stay safe! I'm begging you to come home!" the old steward shouted. "And don't forget the Item Bag!"

"Already got it outside," Toadette called back. "We can do this, Toadsworth!"

I turned down and watched Toadette skip in her step as she hurried back to catch up with the rest of us. We exchanged various glances with one another. Nervous. Shaken, but not broken. Our conviction would propel us forward once more.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

We had retreated back up to my chambers, and Kamek sealed the stairwell behind us. He groaned and slid a hand over his face before he adjusted his spectacles and shot a glare at me.

"Are you happy? That had to have been the most impulsive, brash, and outright foolish…!" He threw his hands in the air and violently shook his wand. "Ugh! I have no clue what you were looking to gain from that, boy, but you've certainly made enemies in your very own kingdom!"

"Papa, why would you do that?" Junior chimed in. "You couldn't even tell me right away."

Even with Junior's help, I ignored Kamek's ranting. I glared at Mario, who was propped against the wall near his room. His cell. Somehow, he appeared even angrier than he was before.

Annoyed, I snarled, "Does that do anything for you?! I just confessed to what will be my whole kingdom in a matter of hours! That has to warrant something! Anything!"

Not in Mario's book, it didn't; he remained as quiet as he had since we left the hangar.

"Then fine!" I bellowed. "You want to act like a prisoner?! You might as well be one!" I whirled my head around to Junior and Kamek. "One of you two, lock him up!"

"What?" questioned Junior.

"Sire, are you certain about doing that?" inquired Kamek.

"Yes, now stop questioning me and do it!" I snapped.

Kamek and Junior exchanged uneasy glances as Junior grabbed Mario and Kamek opened his cell door. Slowly, Junior entered, dropped off Mario, and exited the room. With one last look at me, Kamek then closed the door and locked it.

"Done," the old Magikoopa murmured.

"Good," I forced out and clawed through my hair.

"Papa, is everything all right?" asked Junior. I shook my head. "What's wrong?"

What's wrong at this point? "It feels like everything is, son," my voice broke and sounded uneven.

Three parts of the Mushroom Kingdom were lost. Peach was still very much in control of her own castle and these territories. Every move I took only made Mario hate me more. I just seeded the sparks of revolution within my own kingdom.

I've lost control of everything.

A pounding sounded on the doors from the stairs. It was followed by three timed knocks, each spaced out from one another.

"Ah, let me get that," murmured Kamek.

"Why are you doing that?" Junior questioned. "We don't want anyone—"

"It's fine," reassured Kamek as he unsealed and opened the door. A Goomba walked in. From a distance, I hadn't noticed, but as he approached me, I noticed his teeth were not particularly sharp as they should be, and his eyes were wider than normal.

"G-Greetings, your ma-majesty," Stammers shivered. "I-I'm here to re-remind you about the, uh, the Bowser Games tomorrow."

"Why the hell would I go through with that?" I questioned, voice still uneven.

"After what you just pulled, sire, you're going to need to show some force," advised Kamek. "It's not the best route, but it will remind everyone that you're still in charge."

Though I nodded, I grew increasingly uncertain in Kamek's plans, and even more so of my own. Quietly, I rested my hand upon Mario's door and let it slip down and away from it.

Even if I haven't lost everything yet, I imagined that I was well on my way to doing so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I think I'm going too big with this. Bowser's troops? Rebelling? Maybe…should I back it down? …Probably, but nah!
> 
> Bowser's pretty smart, but his anger makes him pretty reckless. So, uh, whoops, relationship reveal. Cue the Great Koopa Rebellion! (At least, that should be where it's headed, right?) But first, we're going to see some Bowser Games! Oh, and Mario is still mad with Bowser, yikes. Then again, they're going to need a little time before they can get back together; I can't recall the last fight I had with someone that just blew over within the span of a chapter…I mean, day.
> 
> Meanwhile, Toadette joins the party! Why Toadette? Well, she recently had a starring role in that new Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker game, so boom, main role! Nah, it's because her bright demeanor will be nice to bring to the heroes. I mean, if Yoshi's feeling pretty lousy, and other Toads are out of commission, someone has to step up and keep the heroes smiling! …Don't screw this up, Toadette. (Also, glaciers, yes. That's the ice world. Yay, creative location names! …Sarcasm, sorry.)
> 
> So…revolutions, deadly entertainment trials, ice world conquests…man, the plot is so cool! Pun intended. Who needs shipping when so much other stuff goes on?! …Don't kill me, please, it'll come back, I promise. We just…gotta build our way back. I mean, sure, the ship is sinking, but we can plug it back together, right? …Don't…gooooo!
> 
> Anyway, that's all for now. I'd love to hear anything you'd like to comment, so send a review or message if you'd like. Thank you all once again for your support thus far! This is my first story to hit 20 chapters, and it's not even done! It's pretty exciting, and I'm glad it's come so far already! Again, thank you!


	21. An Extravaganza

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bowser's thirteen prisoners are forced to compete in the Bowser Games, as punishment for their previous crime against Mario. But with the big secret unveiled, not as many are in favor of it anymore. With Bowser's reputation on the line, just how will this end?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapters are back in business, just in time for the Bowser Games! Ahahaha! You thought all of those vicious Mario Party mini-games, those evil Bowser ones, were just mere games, did you?! Well…uh, I guess you were right, they pretty much are. But! There's more to them than just a way to ruin a party! So, find out more below, in the chapter that follows! Clear some time to read this one and enjoy!

A small black ball of fuzz, aptly known as a Fuzzy, giggled as it bounced down the stairs and slipped into a dimly lit hallway. It hopped over to a studded, wooden door, and knocked it open. A series of cells waited inside, with seven Goombas crammed inside of one, three Koopas in another, and the last containing one Hammer Bro. and two Fire Bros.

"Hehehe, meork," the Fuzzy cackled. "Look at you sorry chumps!"

"Can it, fuzz ball," snapped Sledge the Hammer Bro.

"Now, now, that's no way to treat a messenger with the juiciest gossip," snickered the Fuzzy.

"Wh-What gossip?" quivered Bill the blue-shelled Koopa.

"Oh please," huffed the red-shelled Koopa, Ren, "he's just messing with us."

"Then why risk coming down here, where he could share our sentencing?" questioned Garen, the green-shelled Koopa.

"What's the story, then, fuzz?" asked Sledge.

"Meork! So now you want to know?" pestered the Fuzzy. "It'll cost you."

"How about your life?" offered Pyre, one of the Fire Bros.

"My life?!" came the Fuzzy's surprised response.

"You do realize we can call a guard down here and get you into the Games with us, or worse," clarified Sledge. "So, yes, your life."

"That's nasty of you, meork!" cried the Fuzzy.

"Tough," murmured Pyro, the other Fire Bro.

"Fine," gave in the Fuzzy. "There's word going around the castle about a rebellion, and some people want to get you out of the Games!"

"Get us out?" asked one of the Goombas.

"Who would be that crazy?" inquired another Goomba.

"Not me, but it's funny to talk about," bounced the Fuzzy. "Oh, and it turns out that Bowser's been in love with Mario the whole time!"

"He what?" asked Garen.

"See? Messing with us," declared Ren.

"No I'm not, honest!" protested the Fuzzy. "The whole castle is up in arms over it! A lot of folks are looking to challenge Bowser's rule and overthrow him, while other people are still unsure or defending him."

"Bowser in love with Mario? Is that your best joke of the day?" rang out another Goomba.

"I may like a good joke, meork, but I don't like the idea of being stuck with you sorry bums!" admitted the Fuzzy. "There's no way I'd risk lying about this!"

A Boo suddenly floated in through the walls, and looked around at the prisoners. She then caught eye of the Fuzzy and laughed.

"Ohohoho!" the Boo chuckled. "So you came to tell them after all!"

"Tell us what?" asked Bill.

"About the castle revolution," laughed the Boo. "Bowser's gone mad and revealed himself to be in love with Mario!"

The thirteen prisoners dropped their mouths open simultaneously as the Boo and the Fuzzy laughed.

"Meork, we should go," giggled the Fuzzy. "I want to see who's crazy enough to go against Bowser!"

"Wait!" called Sledge. "Tell whoever you can to not come down here for us. We don't need to be rescued."

"What?!" wailed Bill.

"Sledge, you're insane!" yelled Ren.

"Can you do it or not?" asked Sledge to the Boo and the Fuzzy.

"Oho, if you'd like, certainly," cackled the Boo. "We've nothing better to do, what with all of the protests underway."

"Speak for yourself, meork!" hissed the Fuzzy. "There's a lot more that I can do than work over this!"

The two continued to bicker as they made their way back out of the dungeon. The Goombas erratically bounced around in their cell while the Koopas glared at Sledge.

"Just what were you thinking?" demanded Ren.

"Someone could have rescued us!" cried Bill.

"At the very least, we wouldn't be in here any more," noted Garen.

"Don't any of you understand? If anyone tries to get us, we'll have a massive war break out amongst our troops," explained Sledge.

"Uh, yeah, I think that's the point," quipped Pyre.

"Exactly, and that's bad," affirmed Sledge.

"Come again?" questioned Garen.

"We're at war with Princess Peach and her Toads," informed Sledge. "If we divide ourselves over support for Bowser, we'll be easy pickings for them."

"Couldn't we just get the fight over with quickly?" asked Bill. "We don't need to have it last long, just to get Bowser out of the way."

"No, there are other people that still like Bowser," realized a Goomba. "Sledge is right. We're going to divide ourselves in the middle of a war and that will lead to Peach defeating all of us."

"But we can't just go through with this!" countered Pyro. "If we die from the Games, then there will be a cry for blood on our behalf!"

"Exactly," added in Ren. "One way or another, we're going to have a civil war slip out amongst our people!"

"So we can't let a rebellion happen, but we're doomed if we compete in the Bowser Games," reviewed another Goomba.

Sledge shifted the helmet on his head around and thought for a minute. "Not necessarily," he murmured.

Meanwhile, Bowser slammed his door open and walked outside into the hall. Kamek stood by, waiting for him.

"Good morning, sire," the Magikoopa bowed.

"Save it," snapped Bowser. He brushed a claw through his fiery hair. "How bad is it?"

"A good number of rumblings about a full scale revolution are underway," assessed Kamek. "Lots of troops realize that today will determine the fates of those thirteen prisoners and want to stop it."

"So," murmured Bowser. "I stop that, I'm a coward and prove my ineptitude as a king, while also admitting that I was wrong to have imprisoned them and to spare Mario." He paused and sighed. "If I continue with the games, I go against the wishes of my people, or some, at least, but carry out my punishment against the prisoners, which will reinforce my will." Bowser scratched his chin and shook his head. "Either way, I'm wrong and the result is a rebellion."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, not everyone is against your will," noted Kamek.

"Such as?" Bowser inquired.

Kamek tapped his wand against his hand. "I believe the Bob-ombs are still on your side, in terms of whole factions. Most Moles, Beetles, and Rexes still favor your viewpoint. All aquatic forces are still struggling with their recent loses, so they're out of the picture." He adjusted his spectacles. "I believe that I can conjure some reanimated troops for our side as well. And if the Piranhas stay fed, they're loyal."

"Is that it?" questioned Bowser. "What about the other groups?"

"Uh…let's see," Kamek rolled his wand around. "My Magikoopas should fall in line, but are questioning my authority, with dissenters claiming that I'm too close to you. Fuzzy and Boo troops could care less about loyalty and enjoy the idea of fighting between the others, rallying behind any argument they can, regardless of sides. All of the other Koopa relations are very harshly divided, as are the Goombas, the Shy Guys, and the Lakitus. Spikes, Snifits, and Swoopers are confused and generally remain quiet."

Bowser punched the nearest wall. "That's ridiculous!"

Kamek shrugged. "Well, sire, you should be pleased that no troops have united a whole faction against you."

"Well isn't that a relief?" deadpanned Bowser. "Smaller troops favor me while larger groups are split on the idea of rebelling. But, I have the bombs, so how soothing."

"Actually, I would agree to that, boy," laughed Kamek. "You do realize that you still have the Koopalings and your son united with you? Having them and retaining the Bob-ombs is a strong start."

"My own species is against me," Bowser asserted. "Koopas, Hammer Bros., Paratroopas, Fire Bros., Boomerang and Ice, all against me? Can you imagine them deciding to revolt?"

"They haven't yet," Kamek mumbled.

"Yet. So, they could," observed Bowser.

"…Theoretically," relented Kamek.

The Koopa King slid his hand over his face. "Fantastic," he muttered.

Junior walked out of his room. "So, what will you do, Papa?"

"…Go forward as planned," decided Bowser. "Junior, tell the Koopalings to fetch the prisoners and bring them to the arena. Kamek, send the announcement through the Castle, and warn the dissenters with death should they intervene."

"Sire, are you certain—?"

"Yes."

"Very well," nodded Kamek. "I'll send you an escort to meet you downstairs."

"Escort?" Bowser protested. "I don't need—"

"Oh, yes you do," Kamek insisted and whacked Bowser's arm with his wand. "I'm not dealing with a possible group that tries to murder you before you get there."

Before Bowser could argue it further, Kamek shuffled across the hall and exited through the stairwell. Junior exchanged a glance with his father.

"Um…are you sure you want to bring him?" asked Junior. "I could do it."

"No, I want him with me," murmur Bowser. "Even if he hates me right now."

"He won't forever," beamed Junior. "If I can't, he can't."

Bowser chuckled, "I hope you're right, son."

He reached down and hugged the prince before Junior hurried off to find the Koopalings. With a heavy sigh, he trudged over to Mario's door and knocked it open. Inside the dark bedroom, the red and blue clad plumber glared at Bowser, his wrists and legs bound to the bed.

"If you promise to play nice with me, I won't tie you up," offered Bowser. Mario only narrowed his glare in response. "Suit yourself."

Slowly, he pulled out a rope and wrapped it around Mario's body, only cutting loose one leg at a time and dodged each kick. Bowser did the same for Mario's arms, also evading the punches the plumber fired out.

After tying and tightening the knots, Bowser sat next to him on the bed and sighed. "I'm actually not a big fan of this, honestly," he tugged at Mario's binds. Bowser waited another minute and tapped at his knees before he hopped back up, lifted Mario over his shoulder, and exited the room.

Silently, Bowser carried Mario through the hallway. He raised his eyebrows at Mario's stillness, but continued down a few steps and pressed the stone panel. It opened to the black room with the matching pipe in the middle. Bowser climbed atop the Warp Pipe and scooted down it, keeping Mario near him.

They traveled through the dark tunnel and subsequently emerged on the other side. Bowser repositioned Mario pat him gently on the back.

"Last chance," he whispered. "Sure you want me to carry you around like this?" Again, Mario refused to answer, and Bowser shrugged. "As long as you're here, this is fine by me."

As they walked from the pipe and stairwell, a purple-shelled Koopa approached them. Her face was stoic, with her ruby eyes fixated on her King and his prisoner.

"Greetings, Lord Bowser," Koopella bowed.

"You?" Bowser blinked. "Aren't the Koopas against me?"

"Some, not all, sire," she corrected.

"Huh. Right," muttered Bowser. More clearly, he asked, "So, how's training?"

"Going well," Koopella raised her arms and showed off her black studded armbands.

"Congratulations," nodded Bowser. "Keep it up."

"Will do, sire," she pledged.

They stepped forward and moved to the larger, red studded door. A black Rex with white wings eagerly hopped forward, and softly grinned at the company.

"Hellooo…" began Nix as he attempted to run his hand across Bowser's arm.

"Not now," Bowser snapped and Nix retracted his hand.

"…Oookay then," the Rex finished as the Koopa King walked past him, and slowly followed the group inside.

The quartet walked through another hall, which was dimmer than the one they left. Another door waited at the end, and Koopella opened it.

As they walked in, a crowd of Bowser's army was gathered in a circular series of stands and bleachers set around a circular platform, which dangled from chains over a bed of magma. Kamek stood up from a decorated booth not too far from the pathway that Bowser and the others had entered. He stepped forward and held his wand under his chin.

"All hail your king, Lord Bowser!" announced the Magikoopa as he rode his broom around.

Cheering and booing sounded from across the ring, as Bowser made his way to his box seating.

"Hooray, Lord Bowser!"

"Rotten king!"

"He's no leader!"

"Greatest around!"

"Is that Mario bound up?"

"How disgusting!"

"Not like Peach had it better."

"They're so cute together!"

"This will be so exciting!"

The Koopa King marched into his box with the escort, and walked in front of two black thrones as a white winged and shelled Paratroopa flew up to the box and flapped to stay level with it.

"Hello your majesty," chirped the Paratroopa.

"Feather Duster?" gaped Bowser.

"Actually, sir—"

"What are you even doing here?" the king interrupted.

"Oh, well, Kamek sent me to keep an eye on you while we're in here," explained the Paratroopa. He turned to the Koopa and Rex with Bowser. "Um…are you too here for that too?"

"Affirmative," nodded Koopella.

"Affirm…? Relax, darling," purred Nix, who received a threatening glare in response. He smirked and turned back to the Paratroopa. "Answer's yes for me as well, cutie."

"Neat," nodded the Paratroopa as he flew above them. "Guess you two can handle the sides, while I take care of the skies." He chuckled as he flew another two feet up.

Nix watched as the Paratroopa flew up and licked his lips. Koopella punched him hard in the arm.

"What?" he complained. "He is cute."

"You're like that with everyone," growled Koopella.

"Not true," defended Nix. "But between him, yourself, and our…well," his face lit up with a blush, "our fine specimen of a king, I can see how one might think that."

"I'm standing right here," sounded Bowser.

"I know," purred Nix, to which Koopella punched him again. "Ouch. Baby, don't hit so hard. I like it rough, but—"

"Stop," she hissed. "You're revolting."

"Ooh, venomous words," Nix clutched his chest. "But, as the lady commands, I shall desist." He eyed Bowser and toothily grinned. "For now."

The Rex made his way to the right side of the box, and stepped aside as Junior made his way across the stands. Eying the bound Mario, the Koopa Prince frowned as he stepped beside his father. Koopella bowed to them and made her way to the left side of the box.

"They're all set," Junior whispered to Bowser.

"Good," the king sighed and sat down on his throne. He gently placed Mario down on the empty side and Junior sat in the smaller throne on the right. Aloud, Bowser called out, "Bring out the prisoners!"

With a loud clang, everyone watched as a large metal platform rose up near the central one. On it were the seven Koopalings, their Clown Cars, and the thirteen prisoners, with the latter still bound by chains.

Some audience members jeered their displeasure:

"Free them!"

"They don't deserve this!"

"Injustice!"

Whereas others voiced their approval:

"Fry them!"

"Serves those traitors right!"

"Give us a show!"

Mimicking Kamek's gesture, Larry lifted a wand underneath his chin and announced, "Welcome, everyone, to the Bowser Games!" Cheers and jeers sounded from the crowd. "Today's event will feature the thirteen prisoners you see here, facing charges of treason against the Koopa King himself!" The uproars continued. "Being a fair and sporting leader, however, Bowser has decided to offer them a chance to compete for their lives, and sentenced them here. With a week passed since their sentencing, it is officially time for their trials to unfold!"

The Koopalings released four of the Goombas from their shackles and kicked them onto the platform, which swayed even from the slightest movement.

"Our first four players will be Jumpy, Grumpy, Happy, and Sleepy!" called out Larry. "They'll be taking a Magmagical Journey across the stones on the lava river below!"

Kamek waved his wand and the circular platform unchained from the bleachers around it, dropping the four down below. Several stones waited in front of them as they looked to one another and shivered.

"Wait, which Goomba is which?" Junior asked Bowser, as they pulled out binoculars.

"You can distinguish them by their eye colors and expressions," Bowser explained. "Happy has hazel eyes and smiles a lot, Grumpy has amber eyes and scowls, Jumpy bounces around with violet eyes, and Sleepy yawns and has droopy gray eyes."

Junior blinked and turned to his father. "How do you even know that?" Even Mario raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"They've been in cells for a week," informed Bowser. "I had to have reports about them at some point. Not knowing them would be a little lazy and tactless, don't you think?"

"Well…I guess," shrugged Junior and they went back to watching the event below.

Below, the four Goombas lined up at the edge of the platform and readied to jump forward. A cannonball whizzed out and crashed in the magma before them. Roy chuckled in his Junior Clown Car on the right side, while Morton flew his to the left.

"Oh, I should have mentioned this," laughed Larry. "Roy and Morton will be firing cannonballs as the four cross." Audience members either joined in on the laughter or started screaming out obscenities. "Their goal is to reach the ending marker, down over yonder," Larry continued and pointed a distance away, where a platform with a goal line waited for them. "You can begin whenever you're ready—go. Oh whoops, better get a move on!"

Nervously, the four Goombas exchanged glances with one another. Jumpy leapt forward first, and bounced on a stone to the left side. Happy jumped forward next, following Jumpy. Grumpy readied to go after them, but hesitated and noticed Sleepy yawn. Growling, he dashed over, rammed Sleepy forward onto a stone on the right side, and leapt after him.

"Well, well, they're off!" narrated Larry. "Roy, Morton, fire at will!"

Morton slammed the front of his Junior Clown Car, readying the cannon as the four Goombas continued to jump along their paths. He fired a shot out, aiming to knock Jumpy from the sky as he jumped forward again. The violet eyed Goomba spun around to watch the cannonball whiz past him and landed on a longer stone platform. Roy mimicked Morton's motion, aiming and firing as Grumpy nailed Sleepy to the same platform that Jumpy reached. Luckily, the tired Goomba crashed against the platform as the cannonball hit the edge and fell into the magma below.

Happy and Grumpy jumped forward and met the other two on the platform. Together, the group moved onward and leapt to another longer stone slab, narrowly evading cannon fire from Morton and Roy.

"Hey, we're doing really well!" cheered Happy.

"Yep, almost there!" bounced Jumpy.

"Good…" yawned Sleepy.

"How can you sleep at a time like this?!" snapped Grumpy.

In spite of that, Grumpy slammed into Sleepy and knocked him forward to the left stone. Happy and Jumpy leapt to the right side as Grumpy chased after Sleepy once more. A cannonball from Roy fired out and crashed on the platform Jumpy and Happy stood on, sending them flying forward to the next one.

"Huh," muttered Roy. "Didn't think that'd happen."

Grumpy panted as the stone beneath him began to crumble and slide toward the magma. Sleepy stretched and slid back as Grumpy bonked him forward again, narrowly able to jump away from both the sinking stone and cannon fire from Morton.

"Lucky…" growled Morton.

The quartet raced toward the final platform and jumped to it before Roy and Morton could retaliate. Recovering from their jumps, they stumbled forward and ran across the goal line.

"Oh, look at that," Larry observed, though lethargic about it. "Guess those four Goombas made it safely over, somehow." Some of the audience clapped, while others booed. "No matter," continued Larry, regaining his energy. "Time for the next challenge!"

As the four Goombas walked forward to approach a craggy wall before them, Kamek flew overhead and cast a spell. Magic dust rained over the Goombas as they briefly disappeared, reappearing back on the raised metal platform in the center. In their place stood Bill, Garen, and the Fire Bros. The four gazed up at the wall before them, which now had a tall fence in its place and open air on the opposite side, revealing the volcanoes in the distance.

"Next up, the Funderwall!" cackled Larry. "This one is for Bill, Garen, Pyre, and Pyro!"

"Wait," Junior turned to his father again. "Those Fire Bros. look identical."

"If you look carefully, they each have burn marks on their shells," pointed out Bowser. "Pyre has a star shape burn and lighter brown eyes. Pyro has a crown shape burn and darker brown eyes."

"Wow, you're right, Papa," observed Junior as he checked through the binoculars.

"These four," Larry continued his announcement, "will scale this wall and make their way to the flag markers at the top." He pointed up to red and black flags with Bowser's insignia on them. "They'll need to avoid traps set along the way to get there."

The Koopas and Fire Bros. looked up the wall, gazing at the spiked orbs that rotated in place on the fence.

"Begin when you're ready!" called Larry to the contestants.

"Shouldn't you tell us about the Koopalings first?" questioned Garen.

"What's that?" asked Larry. "Can't hear you over the rumbling rocks."

Underneath the quartet, their base stone platform began to sink into the magma. Quickly, they latched onto the fence and watched as the rock sunk.

"He should have told us about that too," groaned Bill.

"Ooh, I spit or throw fireballs at them if I could," snarled Pyro.

"That's what they'd want, so they could punish us further," rationalized Pyre. "Come on, let's climb."

Carefully, the four made their way up the wall. Once they were two feet up, they moved in a single file to steer clear of the spike traps.

About a quarter of the way up, Larry's voice boomed out, "Iggy! Lemmy! They were asking for you. Why not fire up the party?"

Giggling, the two Koopalings flew their Junior Clown Cars around the opposite side of the wall and leveled their crafts with the four climbers.

"Uh…they're here to make this harder, r-right?" inquired Bill.

"Unfortunately," answered Garen. "As if climbing and holding onto this wall wasn't hard enough."

Propping up a gray hose-like device on their Clown Cars, Lemmy and Iggy shot out streams of fire and moved their crafts near the competitors, attempting to burn them off of the wall, but missing.

"Well, that's kind of a cruel and demented twist," murmured Pyre.

"They're using fire against us?!" cried Pyro. "That's a load of crap!"

Quickening their pace, the quartet hurried their ascent, evading both fire and spiked orbs. Half way along the wall, Iggy and Lemmy tried to change up their tactics, shooting one flamethrower stream at a time on different sides, hoping to catch one or more of the four off guard.

"Come on, burn already!" moaned Lemmy.

"No thanks, we're fine," calmly responded Garen as he climbed down to evade the wisp of fire.

"Just hold still for a minute," growled Iggy.

"That's the exact opposite of what we should do!" wailed Bill.

Still with a quarter of the wall remaining, the climbers continued their pace, and slipped between the decreasing openings between fire streams and spiked traps. Lemmy began to wildly fire his stream about, burning the fence at random spots to the point where he missed the contestants completely. Iggy, however, used this to try isolating each of the four, trying to trap them between the orbs and fire blasts from either his brother or himself. Pyre scrambled quickly across the fence once Iggy locked him between his brother's flame trail and a row of spiked traps.

"Gotcha now, you pest," manically laughed Iggy.

Just as the flamethrower's stream neared Pyre, however, the Fire Bro. managed to reach an opening and climbed up. Iggy snarled in annoyance as Pyre regrouped with his team and the four reached the flags.

"Ha!" cheered Pyro. "We made it!"

"Guess they fizzled out," chuckled Pyre.

"Aw, no way," grumbled Lemmy. "We should have gotten at least one of them."

"And, check it out, the four competitors made it," deadpanned Larry across the arena. Some members of the audience clapped and cheered louder, while others tried to stomp and hiss out their applause.

Kamek flew by on his broom and cast another spell. The Fire Bros. and the Koopas disappeared under the magic dust as a long, metallic platform fired out from the top of the fence, making its way back to the center of the arena. Near the flags, three Goombas and a Koopa abruptly appeared.

"Ah, time now for the Funstacle Course!" announced Larry. "Watch as Ren, Baldy, Wheezy, and Doc try to run across this bridge as Wendy, Ludwig, and I follow them along and fry them to bits!" The young Koopaling laughed along with the outcry from part of the audience, while others applauded him.

"He's enjoying this too much," snarled Ren.

Back at the box, Junior studied the four contestants. "Ok, wait, I think I got this one," he murmured. "Wheezy coughs a lot and has green eyes. Doc has brown eyes and has glasses on his head. And…Baldy has blue eyes, but doesn't have eyebrows?"

"Very good, son," congratulated Bowser.

"Bowser!" cried a voice.

The Koopa King and Prince turned to see a Lakitu float in front of their box, with a Spiny Egg in his hand. Koopella and Nix rushed back inside the box and stood in front of the royal family.

"This madness needs to stop!" demanded the Lakitu. "You're not fit to be our king and you have no right to punish these people!"

Annoyed, Bowser opened his mouth to retort, but gaped as a white flash knocked the Lakitu from his cloud.

"Feather Duster!" was all that came from Bowser's mouth, as the Paratroopa swooped down, grabbed the Lakitu, and flew back up near the box.

"Hey! L-Let me go!" wailed the Lakitu.

"No can do," laughed the Paratroopa. "You threatened our king's life! That means you'll be brought to the dungeons." He signaled and waved to the metal platform. Morton noticed and rode over to the box. "Here you are, enforcer, sir!"

Morton toothily grinned as the Paratroopa handed the shivering Lakitu over. He flew off and away from the arena.

"Nice work," congratulated Koopella.

"Yes, good show," agreed Nix.

"Aw, thanks guys!" the Paratroopa chuckled and lightly blushed. "You all right, Lord Bowser?"

"Um…yes, I'm fine," Bowser muttered and blankly blinked.

"Good!" the Paratroopa nodded. "Well, back to our posts!"

He flew up and away once again. Nix and Koopella checked on Bowser, Junior, and Mario once more before they walked back to guard their sides of the seats. Bowser scratched his head, blinked, shrugged, and picked up his binoculars to watch as the three Koopalings rode their Junior Clown Cars behind the four runners.

"Are the Koopalings ready?" rang out Larry's voice.

"Of course, brother dear," laughed Wendy.

"This should be a quick performance," boasted Ludwig.

"Wait, shouldn't they ask us if we're ready?" Baldy whispered to his companions.

"Go!" shouted Larry and the Clown Cars floated forward, forcing the four prisoners to flee from the approaching Koopalings, who opened their buzz saws to force the four along the metal platform. Ahead, Thwomps floated in the air in an arranged pattern.

"Ok, we should probably go about this carefully," analyzed Doc as the group ran closer to the Thwomp field. "If we plan out our path—"

"Screw that, just run it!" yelled Ren.

The red-shelled Koopa raced forward to the front edge of the platform, narrowly able to move past a Thwomp that crashed down on the metal bridge. Baldy ran after him, evading another falling Thwomp near the back platform edge.

"Well…I suppose that works," mumbled Doc. He readied to chase them, but faltered as Wheezy stopped and had a coughing fit.

"Just…go…ahead," Wheezy sputtered, and nervously glanced back at the Koopalings as they approached.

Doc hurried back and carefully nudged Wheezy along, finding openings along the bridge that allowed the two to navigate through the falling Thwomps. They met up with Baldy and Ren past the Thwomps and watched a gap in the bridge, with three platforms that quickly raised and fell in place.

"Time it right, then jump," advised Doc.

Carefully, the four took turns jumping from the bridge and onto the first platform.

"At least the Koopalings won't be able to follow us," grumbled Ren as he wobbled himself steady.

"Uh…don't be so sure of that," cautioned Baldy.

Back near the Thwomps, the Koopalings flew their cars over the falling blocks and began to approach the four competitors on their platforms. Panicked, the prisoners jumped to the next platform together, and quickly again to the third.

"Yikes!" Baldy cried out, slipping near the edge of the platform.

Ren ran over and pushed him back to the middle before the bounce knocked either of them overboard. The three Goombas and the Koopa readied themselves once more and leapt to the other end of the bridge.

"Can we…breathe now?" panted Wheezy.

"Not yet," warned Doc, and the four turned back to watch the Koopalings float over the platforms that they had crossed.

Onward, the runners raced forward, coming to a narrow portion of the platform. They lined up and ran across, moving quickly across the thinned area of the bridge. Midway through, the four jumped across another gap in the bridge, and ran across the last part of the narrow pathway. Once they made it through, the platform expanded again, and they were able to spread out again.

"Hey, the Koopalings stopped a little ways back," noticed Baldy.

"Baldy, eyes front," murmured Doc.

The blue-eyed Goomba turned around to find spiked bars rolling toward the group. Ren ran forward and jumped over the first one, with the Goombas following his lead. They darted again, and leapt over the slower moving second bar, and then jumped straight up as the third one sped up and crashed in it. Recovering, the four ran and leapt over two more spiked bars, which rolled off after the others.

"Is it…over?" gasped Wheezy.

"Almost, just keep going," rallied Ren.

"Where do you think you're going?" taunted Wendy as the Koopalings flew back near the four prisoners.

"Time for the finale," chuckled Ludwig, as the trio lined up and readied their Clown Cars' cannons.

With a series of bangs, the Koopalings fired out cannonballs at the contestants. The four jumped over the whizzing line of shots and raced forward. Annoyed, Ludwig and Larry blasted their shots together, but the Goombas and Koopa ran to the middle, away from the next blasts.

"How dare you!" screeched Wendy.

She and Ludwig fired shots, to which Ren leapt over as the Goombas ran up and evaded them. With a growl, Larry and Wendy fired their shots together next, with the Goombas jumping up to dodge the cannonballs while Ren dashed down to dodge. Once more, the Koopalings fired their shots together, but the runners leapt over the cannonballs once again. Everyone looked ahead and noticed that the goal line was just inches ahead of them. Hastily, Ren shoved the Goombas across the line and the four fell forward, off the bridge. They crashed back onto the central platform, where their fellow prisoners waited for them.

"Unbelievable!" shouted Larry. "We actually…failed."

A roar of applause and joyful cries sounded from around the arena. Kamek flew back near the group and waved his wand, casting dust over the bridge, which folded back into the wall. With a rumble, the fenced wall collapsed back down to the ground, leaving only the craggy wall in its place. The stones below them sank into the magma river.

"What now, Papa?" asked Junior.

"Hold on, son," Bowser patted the prince.

"Twelve prisoners have managed survive their challenges!" narrated Larry. "However, we still have just one more prisoner remaining." He glowered at Sledge as the Hammer Bro. stepped forward. Slowly, the audience's excitement died down.

"I'm ready whenever you are," Sledge announced and folded his arms.

"Oh, we've already exhausted ourselves," confessed Larry. "You, however, will have quite the challenge ahead of yourself." He rocketed his Clown Car forward and rammed Sledge off the platform, down to the magma below.

"Sledge!" yelled Bill.

"What do you think you're doing?!" bellowed Ren.

Kamek whipped his wand and Sledge's descent slowed until he landed softly on a mechanical raft below, which floated in place on the magma river.

"For the final game," Larry continued, "we decided to combine the usual challenges left for an individual into one greater set-up. So, enjoy now, the Treasure Tunnel Whirl Finale!"

Silence remained as Larry's large grin slowly faded.

"Explain it," hissed Ludwig.

"Right!" called out Larry. "First, Sledge must line up and match three slot wheels." A heavy slot machine dropped down on the raft behind Sledge on cue. The Hammer Bro. stumbled back as he glanced up at the device. "Once he matches three key icons, the slots will be replaced with sixteen Mechakoopas, one of which has swallowed a key. Once the prisoner finds that key, it will open one of five treasure chests, which will need to be opened in a specific order to unlock the door to freedom!" Larry pointed a lone door at the end of the river, which only appeared to lead toward the craggy wall at the end. "If he succeeds, then the explosives won't go off at the end."

"Explosives?!" coughed Sledge.

"Should Sledge reach the end of the river without the correct key, the explosives will go off and blast him to bits," laughed Larry. "…Oh, and his friends will still face the penalty of death for his failure."

"What?!" cried out Bill and Ren together.

"Ready? Go!" Larry called and Sledge stumbled as the raft surged forward.

"Not good," he muttered as he dashed up to the slot machine.

Three large buttons waited before him, each to line up a picture on the slot reel. Sledge mashed the first one in, and glanced back to see a key icon appear on the slot's screen. He grinned and ran to the second one, hitting the button again. It stopped the slot, but as Sledge looked back, he only saw a red Bowser insignia.

"Damn," he growled and watched the slot carefully. Timing it, he punched the button again.

This time, a key icon appeared on the middle slot and Sledge hurried to the last slot's button. He glanced back and watched the reel spin quickly. Unable to spot the key icon, Sledge hit the button. The slot stopped on a green Bowser emblem. Sledge nipped his tongue and watched the reel spin rapidly again, looking for the golden key icon. He hit the button again, but frowned as a blue Bowser insignia showed up instead.

"Not looking too good," assessed Garen from above as the raft neared the half way.

Once more, Sledge jammed the button and nervously turned back. The slot reel slowed and landed on a key icon. He pumped his fist as the slot machine fell apart, with a golden key floating in its place.

Suddenly, a Mechakoopa leapt up and swallowed the key. Sledge blinked and gazed around the raft; sixteen Mechakoopas lined up around the raft. They hopped around in a circle and Sledge lost track of the one that swallowed the key. Quickly, he jumped up and stomped down on the first one, which burst to pieces. Tightening his fists, Sledge ran forward again and bounced around several Mechakoopas, each one exploding, but no key found. He destroyed about half when they whipped out a fire stream, causing the Hammer Bro. to fumble and falter backwards.

"Come on, Sledge!" shouted Pyro.

"You can do this!" cheered Pyre.

After the fire died down, Sledge leapt and stomped down on another three Mechakoopas. As the last one burst, a key flew out and the Hammer Bro. snatched it from the air.

"Gotcha!" he grinned.

With a puff of magic smoke above him, Sledge ran back as five treasure chests slammed down onto the raft. He looked up and noticed it approaching the end of the river. Sledge darted forward and twisted the key in the nearest chest, which failed to open. He ran to the box across from it, which also failed to open.

"Come on, work with me!" he yelled.

The Hammer Bro. ran at the chest above, which opened to reveal a second key. He ran to the middle chest, which failed to open. Sledge turned to go for the box past it, but ran back to the first box instead. He tried the key and the chest opened, revealing the next key.

"He's cutting it close," announced Larry as the raft approached the ending platform.

Sledge ran up past the opened chest and turned the key into the next treasure box. It opened and revealed another key. He moved to the middle chest, but paused and ran back to the further box. Twisting the key around, it opened and revealed the final key. The mechanical raft began to slow as it neared the base platform.

"Crap," grunted Sledge as he slipped. Recovering, he ran to the middle treasure chest as the raft hit the end of the line. He turned the key and opened the final chest, revealing a larger golden key inside.

"Did…did he make it?" asked Garen.

Scooping the key up, Sledge madly ran at the door near the craggy wall. He slammed the key in and twisted it as the explosives began to go off. The audience gasped and watched the fireworks blast around the magma river below.

However, a glow appeared in the middle of the central metal platform, in the shape of a door. It opened and Sledge tumbled through it. In a puff of magic dust, the door dissipated, leaving the final prisoner back with his companions and the six Koopalings. The crowd sat quietly in their bleachers.

"Huh," grunted Larry. "Uh…well, I guess that's it. Congratulations to the thirteen rotten traitors; you all managed to live."

An eruption of screams rang out from the audience while the twelve other contestants ran into Sledge, crowding around him and grabbing him. Bowser stood up and watched as Morton flew back in to join the Koopalings, who sourly watched their former prisoners celebrate. Kamek flew his broom back over to Bowser and sighed.

"Prepare yourself, sire," he whispered. "Their wrath has just begun." Bowser quietly nodded and glanced back to Mario and Junior, both who appeared worried.

Breaking away from his companions, Sledge jumped forward and snatched Larry's wand away from him. He tapped it and held it under his mouth, ignoring the Koopalings as they demanded its return. The others guarded the Hammer Bro. as he faced the royal box.

"Lord Bowser," he called out. "Surprise, surprise!" Sledge grinned as Bowser grit his teeth and clawed at the edge of his box.

"Ungrateful whelp," spat Kamek and raised his wand to ready an argument.

Koopella and Nix closed back into the box. "Give us the orders, sirs, we'll take care of things," offered Koopella.

"On behalf of my fellow convicts, I wanted to thank you," Sledge continued. "It was you who gave us this sentencing." He paused and listened to the audience's roars of delight at his words.

"Listen here!" snapped Kamek.

"No, no, you listen," Sledge interrupted. "Our great and mighty Koopa King has recently been the subject of harsh scrutiny." He waited for the crowds to quiet down once again.

"If you think, even for a minute, that I'll let you finish those words," Kamek ranted again, "you have another—"

"It's in your best interest," Sledge cut in again. "Quite honestly, Bowser shouldn't need a puppet to voice his thoughts or enforce his will."

Kamek opened his mouth to retort, but Bowser raised his hand to silence the Magikoopa.

"What point are you trying to make?" Bowser called out.

"I thought I already made it," shrugged Sledge. "To thank you, sire. You gave us the chance to fight for our lives rather than sentence us directly to death."

Gasps sounded around the arena as Sledge bowed down. Bowser's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open a bit. Momentarily, the other twelve competitors turned and bowed down as well, causing the audience to murmur and bicker amongst themselves.

"People question your rule in spite of such mercy, Lord Bowser," Sledge pressed on as he rose up again. "It's a shame. I don't know why a heavy bias clouds the judgment of many, but you are our king, the one who has built up our forces that we have so far. You've united countless of mistreated and shunned individuals, who were feared or rejected from the so-called righteous Mushroom Kingdom." He pivoted around and faced the audience again. "Many of you claimed that we were being mistreated here, but King Bowser's judgment was more fair and in our favor than anyone realized. As for injustice, don't cast your hatred and disgust toward our king, whom we still very much need." Darkly, he carried on, "Turn that hatred back toward the true enemy, the one who rules the kingdom that banished us and left so many of us to die in the wilds. Unleash your anger at the one that refuses to amend the decades of wrongs against us, the one who, unlike our king, is closed minded to revolutionary changes. The real enemy is the same, as we've always known her to be. It's Princess Peach. Not Bowser, who guides us against her oppression. Not Mario, who blindly serves her without understanding the truth. Our enemy is Peach."

For a while, the crowd remained silent. Suddenly, a clap began from a single Koopa Troopa. Two more joined her, and a Shy Guy began right after. Slowly, the audience grew into a chorus of applause and cheers. A chant rang out, "Bowser! Bowser!" as they continued their uproar. The Koopa King felt his mouth drop open, but no words came out. He looked to Kamek, who mirrored his reaction, and then to Junior, who smiled brightly. Blinking, Bowser stepped forward again and waved to the crowd, who cheered loudly as he did so. With a confused chuckle, he turned back and picked up Mario.

"S-Sire, what now?" asked Kamek as Bowser began to walk away, his escort following him.

"Now? Now, I think of a way to reward those thirteen lunatics," laughed Bowser. "They just put me back into the good graces of my people."

"That's a load of crap!" shouted a nearby voice.

Bowser and the others turned to find a Spike, a Fuzzy, two Boos, and a Shy Guy running over to the box, with spears in their arms. Koopella rushed back and slid into her shell as she slammed into the three on the ground while Kamek blasted the Boos away with a spell.

"What was that about good graces?" snapped Kamek.

"Well, the majority is in favor," muttered Bowser as he took Junior by the hand, repositioned Mario, and followed Nix away from the box seats. Koopella hurried after them while Kamek called the Koopalings over to assist with detaining the latest dissenters.

"Those were the coolest Bowser Games ever!" cheered Junior and he beamed at his father. "And the prisoners even liked you after all that too! You're the best, Papa!"

"If you claim it so, Junior," laughed Bowser as the escorts guided them back inside the halls of the castle's lower levels.

The group made their way back to the stairwell Warp Pipe, and was transported back to the upper levels of the castle. Junior ran back to his room, with Koopella hurrying after him. Bowser marched back to Mario's room and opened the door.

"Give me a few minutes," he mumbled to Nix.

"As you command, milord Bowser," bowed the Rex as he turned to stand guard at the door.

Bowser shut the door behind him and placed Mario back onto the bed.

"You could not possibly remain quiet after that," assessed Bowser as he placed Mario back onto the bed.

Still holding a glare, Mario shook his head. "Fine, you win," he snapped. "But that speech back there? That was completely insane and brutally misguided!"

"Oh, you think so?" challenged Bowser.

"Peach isn't an oppressor!" defended Mario. "Your people are absolutely out of their minds if they can go from rallying against you to uniting against her!"

"Maybe they are a bit crazy," agreed Bowser. "But they're not lying about being cast out from the Mushroom Kingdom. Why do you think I have so many different troops in my army, so many different species in my kingdom?" He paused and studied Mario's face as the plumber eyed him back. "They're outcasts. We're outcasts. Rulers before Peach banned them for a variety of reasons from living within the Mushroom Kingdom. If your princess was the benevolent ruler she's claimed to be, they would have been welcomed back ages ago."

"That's a lie!" barked Mario.

"No, it's not," murmured Bowser. "Or haven't you learned that there are secrets being kept from you, hidden or lost within Peach's Castle?"

Mario opened his mouth to argue, but couldn't find the words. Bowser shook his head as he cut open Mario's ropes and quickly tied him back to the bedposts. This time, the plumber put up no resistance.

"I don't think she's evil, at least not anymore than myself," admitted Bowser. "She has shown tolerance to some Koopas and Goombas, and let them live freely within the safer regions of her kingdom. But collectively, they're still kept out and isolated, away from the Toads, away from the kingdom."

"She is not evil, period," refuted Mario.

Instead of arguing it further, Bowser simply finished tying Mario back into place. He leaned over the plumber and gently stroked his cheek, which Mario turned away from.

"Don't. I'm still mad at you," grumbled Mario.

"So I see," sighed Bowser. "What does it take?"

He waited, but Mario refused to answer him.

"If you want to go back to your creed of silence, that's fine," whispered Bowser. "But I'm not giving up, even if you want to."

Again, he waited, but Mario still wouldn't even look at him.

"Hate me, then," relented Bowser. "Maybe we shouldn't be in love, maybe this is just too much on top of everything else." He took in a deep breath and exhaled. "But I still love you, and I'm not letting it end here. Not yet."

Slowly, Mario turned his head back toward Bowser, and the two stared quietly into one another's eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What have I done? They're still not back together! …Oh, and Peach is an oppressor, pass it on.
> 
> But yeah, those were the Bowser Games! Shockingly, I didn't kill any of the players off, even though we all know someone should have gotten nailed in one of those games. (Seriously, how often can all four players actually clear those things together?! …Because my friends and I suck at it, so I don't actually know.) If you don't happen to know, I used each of the Bowser mini-games from Mario Party 7, which had awful names, but seemed pretty enjoyable and had a nice cohesive theme. It may sound weird when reading it, but hey, I tried. (In fact, I should wear a t-shirt with "I tried" printed on it, and wear it every single time I post a chapter.)
> 
> If you're confused about the stance of Bowser's troops, there is in fact still dissent among them, and they're not sure about their approval of Bowser's recent decision making. However, with his prisoners vouching for him, it's kind of hard to go against him…oh, and he does have supporters still. If I had to split it into even percentages, I'd put roughly 70% in favor of Bowser, and 30% against. Not perfect, but much better than the beginning of the chapter, which was probably the opposite. Unrelated: shout-outs for the random original characters that I forced back in, yeah! …I mean, besides the prisoners; they're ok, I guess. But hey, the other three…! Yeah? No? Ok, I'll go back to my corner.
> 
> So, what's with the nonsense about Peach's apparently hostile treatment of Bowser's forces? Well, if you think about it, Bowser has a huge…no, I mean, a HUGE number of henchmen. He can literally pick and choose who he's going to send after Mario and friends from game to game. And somehow, Peach never seems to have enough support to keep her safe in her castle. With that in mind, I tried (ohoho) to place that as a bias that Peach's kingdom has against a good number of species that never seem to show up as friendlier folks, in a vain effort to expand history and lore into a shipping story. Yeah. I went there. (Like a boss! …Oh crap, no, wait, don't stomp me! Eep!) But really, why are there no friendly Rexes or Beetles? Those guys are so cool. When are they going to pop up in a sports or party or racing game? Huh? Mario: Shell Surfers. Let's get hashtags going and make it a thing! (Lolno, 64 tried.)
> 
> Anyway, that's all for now. But since she came up, what are Peach and friends up to? (What's that? Conquest? Oppressors! …I'm joking. Please don't kill me, Peach fans, I love her too.) And, for the love of shipping stories everywhere, will Mario ever forgive Bowser? Will they ever be a mushy couple again? Can I just stop adding subplots to a story that's never going to answer them?! Hahaha…no. I apologize in advance for the inevitable disappointment, but I will break myself over avoiding it, so that. If you believe in life after love…wait, no, that's a terrible song right now. NO, STAHP. They wuv each other, honest. All right, I'm off to go cry myself to sleep. Comments and criticisms welcome, and I love to see reviews and messages, so don't be shy. (I know a lot of you aren't; my last few chapters have gotten lots of noise, and I get so excited over it! Aaahh, gush, gush, love, gush. Hugs for every one of you folks.) Thank you once again for reading!


	22. A Quarrel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peach and her allies reach the Glaciers, where they must again work to free the territory from Bowser's forces. How will their recent loss of Mario and line-up change affect their decisions?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we begin, a spoiler warning: minor character death will occur in this chapter.
> 
> Now, onward. …Oh, hey, it's been a while since we followed a certain someone's perspective, huh?
> 
> Originally, I told myself that this wouldn't be a long chapter. And then I kept writing and stuff just happened. Fortunately, for my short chapter fans, it's not as long as the last chapter!
> 
> …For you long chapter fans, I'm clearly favoring you guys, and I hope you're enjoying it. Speaking of, enjoy this chapter too! (Please? Hopefully?)

**[Peach]**

An icy gust blew around us as we crossed the bridge to the Glaciers. I kicked a bit of ice off the bridge and watched it disappear into the dark blue waters below. Once I reached the frosted surface, I turned back and watched as my shivering friends made their way over to meet me, albeit at a slower pace.

"P-Peach, h-how is it t-that you are n-n-not f-freezing?" Daisy asked.

With a shrugged, I answered, "I guess the cold never bothered me."

"N-No way," Luigi cut in. "I've s-seen you c-cold before."

"Well," I turned back around and marched forward, "not today."

Onward, I stepped across the dense ice, slowing my pace every so often to wait for my friends. They staggered along, with each chilling breeze slowing them down, not to mention the slight movements of the glacier threw off their balance every so often as well. I bit my lip, annoyed at their sluggish pace, but then, had an idea. Waving the Royal Scepter around, I cast out fireballs that circled around us, creating a circling wall of warmth.

"W-Wow, thank you, Peach!" cheered Toadette. I smiled and nodded in response.

"Hey, yeah," laughed Daisy. "It's the first time in forever that I've seen a fireball not blast someone to cinders."

"Um…I don't know…which is worse…for me," panted Yoshi, as he wiped sweat away from his face. "Extreme heat…or cold."

"Neither seem like ideal options to deal with for very long," agreed Luigi.

"No, and we'll need to keep a quick pace if we don't want to melt a hole where we're standing," I directed. "Come on!"

My friends followed me across the frozen mass, but I wasn't looking to work through every last glacier, every little area. We didn't have the luxury of clearing each individual location and dragging down all of Bowser's flags. What we needed was control here, and hasten our pace to get Mario back.

Ahead, there was a gap between the Glaciers, with several Goombas and two Ice Bros. waiting on the other side for us.

"Looks like we've got company," Daisy assessed as the others gazed past my fireballs and to the enemies across the way.

"Hold it right there, Princess," called one of the Ice Bros. "This will be as far as you go—"

He wouldn't get to finish his sentence as one of my fireballs cracked across the sky and blasted him into the waters below. A chunk of ice with a frozen Ice Bro. was all that came up after.

Shocked, which turned to anger, his companion shouted, "You miserable little—!"

Another fireball crashed against him and sent him off into the waters to join his friend. The Goombas ahead shivered and I readied to attack them.

Before I could move, a long red tongue stretched out and smashed them across the glacier, into a wall of ice. Frozen blocks came crashing down over the Goombas and they were trapped in seconds.

Yoshi and I stared at one another, with the fire's heat bothering him less since that the numbers dwindled. Though he did his best to maintain a neutral expression, I could see a bit of wariness in his eyes.

"My, that was certainly a wonderful show of strength, Yoshi!" Toadette applauded and I cast the fireballs aside, out of our way. "For someone so cute and with your reliance on eggs, I didn't know you had it in you."

"Don't talk to him like that," muttered Luigi to her as he walked past me.

"Well, _excuse_ me, mister," huffed Toadette.

He and Yoshi leapt across the gap to the other side. Daisy followed them, and I turned to Toadette, who frowned at the distance.

"Toads aren't the best jumpers," I murmured.

"That gap is easy to make," Toadette reassured me and smiled.

"There will be longer ones up ahead," I warned her.

"Then I'll have to figure something out," shrugged Toadette and she jumped forward. Easily, she reached the other side. "Come on, Princess!"

With a final glance back to the frozen Ice Bros., I leapt across and joined the others. Whipping the fireballs back around us, we hurried along the way, until we reached a large ice structure ahead.

"What is that thing?" Daisy asked and I motioned the fireballs away.

"It's…it's a palace made of ice!" cried Luigi.

Everyone gazed at the ice fort before us. It seemed fairly grand, at least in height. Carved into the castle were doors and small openings for windows. The blocks of ice that were made resembled stones that one would build a proper castle with. Near the left side was a type…slide?

"Is this meant to be the fortress?" wondered Yoshi.

"Hey guys!" called Toadette. We turned down to see that she turned her attention away from the palace and gazed out to the ocean. "See that iceberg over there?"

She pointed and we squinted at the huge ice chunk that floated away in the distance. A polar bear that stood upright on its hind legs wandered atop it, with what appeared to be black sunglasses and hot pink shorts.

"…What is that?" carefully questioned Daisy.

"A polar bear," I answered, more plainly than I should have.

"But…why is it…?" Daisy trailed off as the palace's doors opened from behind us.

Several Penguins marched out, with wide and curious eyes. They were much taller than any of us, and looked down as they came closer.

"Who are you?" demanded one that stood in front. The voice was a female's, but very authoritative.

"My name is Princess Peach," I introduced. "I'm here to help free the Glaciers from Bowser's control."

"Princess? He…he hasn't kidnapped you?" she asked, quite surprised.

"Not this time," I nodded. "We need to get through these Glaciers quickly and free the fortress that's been taken over. Once we do that, the rest of the land is yours to restore back to order, as you see fit."

"That would be nice," agreed the Penguin. "All right, if you take our slide, you'll be able to reach the glacial caves quickly. But, be very careful; it's a bit of a stretch, and you don't want to fall off from the slide."

"It goes above the water, doesn't it?" checked Daisy.

"Yes, and Penguins tend to enjoy the swim, but I very much doubt the rest of you would," murmured the Penguin.

"We'll be fine," I assured her.

"Very well," she nodded and turned to the Penguins behind her. "Allow these five through, and let them use the slide."

"Yes, Madame," complied the Penguins and they waddled aside.

With a smile, I guided the others through the entrance of the palace and the Penguins guided us to the nearby slide. The Madame Penguin followed us over and stood next to the slide.

"Do be wary of Cooligans," she advised. "Unlike us, they're not the friendly sorts. They're cheeky and will try to bump you off, just for laughs."

"Thank you, we'll exercise additional caution," I curtseyed to her. "Toadette, do you have the Item Bag?"

"Sure do," she pulled it out and I rummaged through it until I pulled out the Penguin Suit.

"Oh, that's a smart idea," Luigi smiled. "Can we all use it?"

"We should be able to," I nodded. "Grab hold, everyone."

My friends gathered around and touched the Penguin Suit as it glowed bright. In a flash, we were enveloped in a light. When it disappeared, I gazed down at my hands, which were now covered with flippers. My pink dress remained along the outside, but it was now around the body of my blue Penguin Suit. Daisy had a similar costume, with her orange and yellow dress around a black Penguin Suit. Luigi's was a dark blue with green overalls on the outside. Yoshi's was a plain suit, but had his saddle on the back of it. Toadette had a blue Penguin Suit as well, with her pink vest and dress on the outside of it.

"Gracious, I didn't realize you were all part-Penguin," mused the Madame Penguin.

"Oh, we're not. I'm sorry, Madame," I shook my head. "This is just a temporary, to help us as we slide."

"Ah, I see now," she nodded. "Well, those will certainly help, I'd imagine."

Another Penguin stepped up to help us climb onto the slide. Luigi and Yoshi scooted to the front, while Toadette sat between Daisy and I in the back.

"Hey, you boys ready?" asked Daisy.

"N-Not exactly," gulped Luigi.

"Too bad!" she laughed and kicked Luigi and Yoshi forward. Slowly, they fumbled about and slid down the icy slide, with Luigi wailing as they flew off.

Quickly, the girls and I flipped onto our bellies and pushed off, as we hurried down the slide after them. It had a steep drop at the beginning, but slowly rose up a bit, allowing us to slow our pace a bit. The slide dipped down and around a bend, letting us go through another set of the Glaciers and over the ocean below.

"This is awesome!" shouted Daisy as she threw her hands into the air.

"Woohoo, yeah!" agreed Toadette, who began to pick up speed and slid further ahead. "W-Wait! What?"

"Oh dear, hold on, Toadette!" I called as she continued down slide, between the boys and us.

Ahead, we slid into a cavern between the next two of the Glaciers. A quick gap of air let us know that we passed from one to the next. However, from that opening, I glanced up and watched several small penguins with sunglasses dive down at us.

"Cooligans!" cried Luigi, who had also noticed them drop from above.

We sped through the next glacier as they dropped into open spaces around us. Daisy held her hand up and summoned an Ice Ball. She threw it at one of the Cooligans, who turned into a block of ice and gained momentum.

"Uh…oops?" nervously chuckled Daisy.

The frozen Cooligan knocked two of its allies away and sped closer to us. Luigi and Yoshi screamed and I whirled my head around.

There was a slight gap in the slide itself, where we soon launched off and dropped to the next part of it. Though we continued to rocket onward, the frozen Cooligan had dropped off the slide, too heavy to launch properly.

Three Cooligans remained with us, and one sped up to attack Toadette.

"Watch out, Toadette!" I called out again.

She spun about and fired an Ice Ball, which missed and burst on the slide in front of Daisy, who had to wipe her eyes from the powder that flew at her.

I launched an Ice Ball of my own and hit the Cooligan, who was encased in a block like the last one. It slid down and crashed into the remaining two Penguins, who were batted off the slide.

Luigi and Yoshi jumped up and allowed the frozen Cooligan to race past them, dropping back down and next to Toadette as it disappeared around the next bend.

"Phew. Thank you, Princess," sighed Toadette as we continued to slide along.

Soon, we reached another steep drop in the slide, and we sped down it. The end of it lifted up and we soared off from the slide, over the ocean, and through the air. After a moment, we crashed down on another glacier, this one with a large cave in front of us. I glanced at the top of it, with a flag of Bowser's insignia at the top of it.

"A glacial cave," observed Luigi. "Doesn't seem like the best place to convert into a fortress, does it? What if the place collapses or melts?"

"Considering that we already dealt with a sunken ship, I think they could care less on a permanent fortress foundation," countered Daisy.

"Regardless, this is definitely the place," I pointed up to the flag at the top. "Let's get in there and get this over with."

They nodded and we walked inside the icicle-lined entrance of the cave. Cautiously, I guided the others further along the cave, but stopped when I noticed the Dry Bones ahead.

"We'll need to deal with those," I whispered to the others and shuffled forward first.

Luckily for us, we were already prepared to deal with Dry Bones. I formed a new Ice Ball in my flipper and aimed my arm to throw it at the first Dry Bones, which rested on a cliff above.

As I threw the Ice Ball, Daisy yelled, "Peach! Head's up!"

Shaken, I watched my Ice Ball score the hit against the Dry Bones and froze it before I gazed up to watch a giant ice stalactite come crashing down.

It knocked me away and in a flash, I was on the ground, back in my normal dress, and lost the Penguin Suit.

"Drat," I hissed as I pushed myself up.

"Are you all right, Princess?" asked Toadette.

"Yes, I'll be fine," I brushed myself off and pulled my Royal Scepter out. "Well, let's continue, shall we?"

The others exchanged glances, but I turned back and jumped up to the cliff. Placing my scepter down, I lifted the ice encased Dry Bones and threw it against a wall, shattering it.

"Is that really necessary?" wondered Yoshi aloud.

"Of course it is," I responded. "We don't want them coming back to attack us, do we?"

"But, they don't always attack," countered Yoshi. "Sometimes, they just patrol."

"Yoshi, don't tell me you're pitying these undead Koopas," I snapped. "They're not worth it!"

"They're not worth obliterating either, are they?" questioned Luigi. "We're in a hurry, aren't we?"

My eyes locked with his, and even at a distance, Luigi held a good stare. With a heavy sigh, I nodded.

"Then let's go," Luigi called out and jumped onto another cliff on the opposite side.

Daisy and Yoshi followed him up, while Toadette hurried over to my side and jumped to follow me. Instead of attacking the Dry Bones that we passed on our ascension, we evaded them and leapt to the next platform.

A crack sounded from above and Toadette shouted as we watched another ice stalactite slam down by Luigi, Daisy, and Yoshi. Toadette and I jumped to another platform and saw Luigi and Daisy jump on top of the ice stalactite, but Yoshi was against the floor, without his Penguin Suit.

"Ugh," I heard him groan. "Not fun."

Luigi jumped down and helped Yoshi back to his feet. We jumped up and continued to climb, evading the patrolling Dry Bones and ice stalactites that fell as we pressed on. Eventually, we reached a platform that brought our groups back together, along with a few snowmen lined up against the cavern walls.

"Happy snowmen!" cheered Toadette as she ran over and poked one. "With carrot noses! So cute!"

A long red tongue stretched out and lashed against the snowmen's faces. Toadette jumped as it stretched in front of her, and paused for a second for us to see the lump of carrots that were wrapped up. It slipped backwards and went into Yoshi's mouth as he swallowed the vegetables whole. Everyone else stared at Yoshi as he rubbed his belly.

He stopped and looked back at us. "…What?" Yoshi questioned. "I was hungry."

We shrugged and continued to jump up the cliffs and platforms of the cave. Another stalactite fell, which I launched a fireball at to shatter it. The remaining pieces rained down, however, and one struck Luigi.

"Nice aim, Princess," Luigi muttered as he was lit by a flash. He folded his arms as his Penguin Suit disappeared and the light faded.

"It was worth a shot," I grumbled.

Our climb continued, mostly uneventful as we paraded past the Dry Bones, who wandered aimlessly around by this point.

"You know, some of the others attacked us before," observed Daisy. "Why won't these guys?"

"The cold must be messing with their heads," guessed Yoshi. "Dry Bones have a pretty solid weakness to ice and frozen environments, right?"

"True," I agreed. "Which…makes it confusing as to why Bowser would send them here."

"Isn't every fort guarded by Dry Bones?" inquired Luigi. "I've been through so many and it's always full of Dry Bones. Why is that?"

"Bowser probably knows that we'll just clobber anyone else and rush through the place," assumed Toadette. "So, might as well make it easy for us!"

"That…doesn't exactly make sense," argued Daisy. "Why put the boss at the end?"

"Oh. Then that's probably it," presumed Toadette. "He wants us to go through quickly to fight the boss, who he thinks we'll struggle against."

"They're not the only ones here!" shouted a voice.

Everyone glanced up to see two Ice Bros. waiting near the top of the cavern.

"Hello," Toadette waved, undeterred. "Can you tell us why Bowser uses mostly Dry Bones in fortresses and such?"

"W…What?" asked one of the Ice Bros.

"Well, they're pretty weak, for the most part," continued Toadette "Besides the whole resurrection action they have going on and…hey, that's it!" She snapped her fingers at the revelation. "Guys, Bowser probably uses them because they're the ones that can come back from almost everything! Dry Bones can handle extreme temperatures, reassemble from being knocked apart, aren't afraid of the dark, they're ideal troops for these places!"

"…Why do you even care?" questioned the other Ice Bro.

"Care? Who told you that?" asked Toadette. "I'm just distracting you two."

Realizing it too late, the Ice Bros. whirled around to find that Luigi and Daisy had climbed up and jumped on top of their heads. The Ice Bros. fumbled back and fell from their perch, back down the cavern below.

"Nice work, Toadette," I congratulated.

"Thank you, Princess!" Toadette beamed.

"Hey, how about us?" demanded Daisy as she folded her arms. An abrupt flash enveloped her and she blinked as her Penguin Suit disappeared. "W-What?!"

"Is that a Freezie?" asked Luigi as we looked to the passing ice block with a perplexed facial expression. It silently slid from the edge and fell down the cavern.

"…Seriously?" questioned Daisy, as her arms hung out loosely in front of her.

"That could have been worse," noted Yoshi.

Annoyed, but agreeing, Daisy nodded and folded her arms back together. Yoshi, Toadette, and I jumped up to the next cliff and met Luigi and Daisy as we leapt further up the cavern. Eventually, we reached a big, green studded door.

"Well, congratulations, Toadette," muttered Luigi. "If this were a mini-game to see who could keep the Penguin Suit to the end, you'd be the winner."

"Woo!" cheered Toadette and twirled around. We laughed as she spread her arms out and posed happily.

"Come on, let's keep going," I urged. Toadette nodded and we pulled the door open.

We walked inside and the door slammed shut behind us. I stare down the long corridor and realize how dull this becomes as we venture through each one across the kingdom.

"Let's race down the hallway!" suggested Toadette. "First one there gets the first attack!"

Before anyone could contest to her idea, she broke into a run and hurried along. I charged after her, with Yoshi, Luigi, and Daisy running not too far behind me. At one point, Toadette tripped and slid forward on her Penguin Suit, which helped her glide along a little faster for a moment, but skidded to a stop. She giggled as I scooped her up and carried her along to the end of the hallway. For a moment, I thought I heard Kamek's evil cackle resonate in the distance.

Once we reached the end, we exited the glacier cave and appeared at the top. Thick ice stalagmites surrounded us, preventing a chance at escape, if need be. A mound of snow was all that was at the end of the area.

"Wait, did Toadette win, or Peach?" Yoshi asked.

"Whoever you are, just show yourself already," I called out. "We've already been through three of these fortresses, we know how this works."

"T-Three already?" a voice echoed around us. "Oh d-d-dear, that's not good news."

A surge of wind billowed from the snow bank and blew the powder all around us. When it cleared, a giant snowman rested where the pile originally was. He had a blue bucket on his head, a stick arm that had a yellow mitten with a pink stripe at the end of it, and an expression on his face similar to the Freezie from before. Black stones were used to make up the face and the buttons on his lower section.

"And you are…?" inquired Daisy.

"I-I'm Mr. Blizzard," a voice sounded from the snowman, but his mouth did not move a bit. "B-B-Bowser requested me to watch over the Glaciers."

"More like ordered," corrected Daisy.

"Not exactly, b-but I suppose you c-could c-call it that," shivered Mr. Blizzard.

"You don't seem all that evil," assessed Luigi. "Why are you oppressing this land?"

"O-Oppressing? No, I d-don't do that," Mr. Blizzard insisted. "I k-keep the land cold and h-helped the P-Penguins build their ice p-palace."

Something clicked for me as I inquired, "So, it was between you and the Penguins to work for Bowser?"

"N-No, Bowser didn't even c-consider the Penguins," the snowman shivered again. "He t-thinks that they're t-treated well enough."

"Treated well…?" I questioned.

"B-By you," accused Mr. Blizzard.

"As opposed to whom?" I demanded.

"Other s-species of the k-kingdom," continued Mr. Blizzard. "P-Princess Peach enforces l-laws that keep them out from h-her kingdom."

"If by others, you mean the nasty grunts that Bowser uses, then that's wrong," defended Toadette. "Princess Peach keeps us safe from them."

"S-She keeps the others out, a-and they're f-forced to defend themselves," persisted Mr. Blizzard. "B-Bowser takes them in a-and uses them for t-troops, but also g-gives them m-more help than the r-r-royal family."

"Listen," I intervened. "Bowser has been trying to tell that lie for ages, and it's been passed down within his line for generations. My family has done no wrong to these other species. They're hostile creatures, and they'll attack innocent people on sight. The Toads, the Penguins, the Yoshis, they're more defenseless folks. How have they ever incurred the wrath of such vicious monsters?"

"I-If they were truly v-vicious, you wouldn't even n-need to c-call them such," Mr. Blizzard picked out. "Y-You've grown up on t-the lies you've b-b-been told and now you c-continue to spread them amongst y-your p-p-people."

"These aren't lies," I insisted. "The first instinct of a Goomba is to bonk an approaching target. A Koopa will launch its shell at someone to attack. Cheep Cheeps bite, Piranha Plants spit fire, Dry Bones will throw bones—"

"Toads will stomp, Penguins dive, Yoshis fire eggs and eat foes," clearly sounded the snowman. "They're not quite as defenseless as you believe them to be. You are not as defenseless as many would believe you to be."

My grip tightened around my scepter. "The Koopa King has fed you nothing but lies, and now they've festered in your head for far too long," I darkly murmured.

"S-So if they w-w-were lies, w-why do you grow so angry?" challenged Mr. Blizzard.

"Because you believe them," I called out. "And I'm upset that you do."

"Does my o-opinion bother the g-great Princess of the M-Mushroom Kingdom?" he questioned.

"It wouldn't if it was your own opinion," I pointed my rod at him. "However, this is just what Bowser wanted you to tell us. He's trying to stir something against us."

"Who's to tell?" inquired Mr. Blizzard. "I only see you and your allies here. None of them have connections to Bowser, do they? Their absolute, undying loyalty resides with you, doesn't it?"

"That's right!" piped up Toadette.

I flashed her a smile, but when I turned to check on the others, I noticed Daisy wearing her own perplexed expression while Luigi and Yoshi were frowning…at me.

"You don't seriously believe him…do you?" I quietly asked them as I lowered my wand.

Yoshi shivered quietly, though he didn't look like he had an answer in mind for me.

"No, we don't," affirmed Daisy, though there was unsteadiness in her voice. "I've known you for years, Peach. You're not evil, or oppressive, or whatever he's trying to imply."

"Not by choice," mused Luigi.

"What was that?" I questioned.

"It's just…Peach, you were never there during the time that the Koopa Troop soldiers were, well, not apart of Bowser's army," observed Luigi. "Have you ever spoken with them on a personal basis?"

"Are you insane?" I blurted out. "Bowser kidnaps me! Why would I ever—?"

"I didn't suggest Bowser," corrected Luigi. "Though, maybe he's just doing what he was always raised to do."

"He wasn't raised to kidnap me and hold me ransom for my kingdom, he chooses to do that!" I snapped. "He's doing it with Mario right now! Luigi, you have to see that, out of everyone here!"

"…My brother and Bowser…" muttered Luigi. He glanced at Yoshi, who continued to shake from the frigid environment.

"They're enemies!" I shouted.

"Are they?" boomed Mr. Blizzard. "Or have you made them such?"

"What?!"

"Why would they be against one another?" contested Mr. Blizzard. "Mario foils Bowser's attempts at rule to keep you safe. Bowser despises Mario because he keeps helping your kingdom. If you're taken out of the equation, what do they have left to fight over?"

"Anything!" I forced out. "Everything! They hate each other! Mario only ever puts on a good front when we invite Bowser to things because I ask him to!"

"Always?"

"Yes!" I insisted. "Even then, Bowser crashes to I don't even know how many events and gatherings we have! He's cruel, vile, nasty, rude, insecure, bossy, spiteful, evil, insensitive, manipulative—!"

And I froze as that last word registered in my mind. I checked back on Yoshi, who had folded his arms and crossed his legs as he shivered still.

"Manipulative," I repeated. "Manipulation. That's your game, isn't it?"

"Excuse m-me?" questioned Mr. Blizzard.

"Most bosses have forced us into a fight by this point," I recalled. "But you haven't. And that's your trick, that's why Bowser chose you. You're trying to get in our heads and have us freeze out here figuring ourselves out. Crafty, and it was going well for you."

"C-Confrontation is something I-I'd rather avoid," Mr. Blizzard tried, but I shook my head.

"No, that's exactly what you were going for," I readied my scepter again. "And that ends right here."

Before anyone else could speak, I whipped up a fireball and shot it at Mr. Blizzard. The snowman took the hit right across the face and wailed in pain, but didn't flinch.

"And you've called others monsters?!" cried Mr. Blizzard.

"Peach, hold on a minute," Daisy reached out and grabbed my shoulder. "He can't move."

"That's the point!" I thundered. "He's just trying to get into our heads!"

"But Peach—"

"No, you guys don't understand," I argued. "That's all this boss is made of. It's not like the others that can fight us back. He's stuck where he is. The way he battles us is by messing with us verbally and mentally, not physically."

With a glare at the snowman, I readied another fireball.

"M-Maybe we could just…run around him and confuse him, instead?" weakly offered Toadette.

"If your friends won't help me, and you won't stop, then I have no choice," moaned Mr. Blizzard.

A snowball materialized in his hand, formed from the icy dust around the area. Quickly, I shot a fireball at him, but he lobbed the snowball at my shot, which cancelled the blast.

My mouth dropped open. "How…?"

"For my lack in mobility, I have sharp aim and a mastery over colder elements," announced Mr. Blizzard. "This allows me a chance to defend myself from predators, such as yourself."

"I'm no predator!" I angrily defended.

"You launched a fireball to harm me, when I haven't wronged you in any way," noted the snowman. "What do I call you if not—?"

"Just stop talking!" I shouted.

"Truth lives, even if I fall silent," rumbled Mr. Blizzard.

"Enough!"

Again, I sent out another fireball, which Blizzard blocked with another snowball. He formed another one and quickly tossed it at me. I ducked but heard an odd, crackling sound behind me.

"Yoshi!" cried Daisy.

Whirling my head around, I gasped. Yoshi was encased in solid ice, frozen in place.

"S-Surrender now, p-p-please," bellowed Mr. Blizzard. "Leaving him frozen for too dangerous."

"Then release him!" I commanded.

"Only if you leave this place," he contended.

"We can't do that," I argued.

"Well, then you leave me no choice," Mr. Blizzard echoed.

Another snowball launched out and I shot a fireball to block it. Daisy ran forward and went to jump onto the snowman, but he was far too tall for her to rise quickly enough.

"Daisy!" I shouted as another snowball formed in his hand.

It was too late. Blizzard hit her directly with the snowball and my fellow princess was quickly encased in ice. She crashed back down to the ground, not far from Mr. Blizzard.

"Will you stop now?" he asked.

"No!" I yelled.

"So be it."

Mr. Blizzard whirled up another snowball and launched it. I created a pink barrier around Toadette, Luigi, and I, which blocked the snowball.

"Nice work, Princess!" thanked Toadette.

"Peach, you're doing well," observed Luigi, "but for Yoshi and Daisy's sake, we should probably stop here."

"Absolutely not!" I boomed. "Just give me a minute."

Another snowball formed in Mr. Blizzard's hand, bigger than the last. He hurled it forward and I watched it hit my shield and…break through it!

"That's not possible!" I cried out.

The large snowball crashed down beside me and I pivoted to see Luigi slowly encasing in ice.

"Luigi! No!" Toadette gasped.

Hastily, Luigi called out, "Either end this, or s-save my brother!" The ice closed around him and froze him like the others.

Angered, I whipped up another fireball, bigger than the last, and sent it right at the snowman. It hit him without fail and he moaned in pain.

"Is war…the only answer…you know?" gasped Mr. Blizzard's voice.

"You're the one launching snowballs! Just stop!" I shouted.

"Must I be the one at fault?" he challenged. "You launch fireballs repeatedly at me."

"Those snowballs froze my friends!" I yelled.

"Unfortunate," he murmured. "I've been aiming for you."

Quickly, he formed another snowball and lobbed it at me. I shot a fireball at it, canceling it, as another snowball whizzed through the air at me. Again, I burnt it down, and readied my staff for the next one.

The third, however, flew across rapidly after the second, and I couldn't ready my spell in time.

"Princess!" wailed Toadette.

As the snowball soared down, Toadette jumped in front of me and took the hit.

"No!" I screamed. "Toadette! Why?!"

Thinking that I was asking her, she tried to laugh, but coughed instead. "I guess some people are worth freezing for," she managed out to me as the ice encased her.

My mouth hung open. All four of my friends were frozen solid. And if they stayed that way for too long…

"Forgive me, Princess Peach," bellowed Mr. Blizzard. "This will be the end."

A roar of anger escaped me. The snowman threw another snowball, but I blocked it with a shield.

He created a larger snowball again, but I lowered the shield and waited until he threw it.

As the snowball came flying at me, I waved my wand and froze it in the air.

"W…What's this?!" gasped Mr. Blizzard.

Pink ice encased the snowball and shifted its shape into a spear. With another wave from my scepter, I threw it back and it sliced through Mr. Blizzard's arm. The snowman shrieked in pain and I used the scepter to create a giant fireball above him.

"Release my friends, right now," I demanded.

"This…heat…should…do it," coughed the voice of the snowman.

Slowly, the ice around my friends began to thaw, but it wasn't fast enough.

"Help it along!" I commanded. "Now!"

"I can…only create…snow…not destroy it," wheezed Mr. Blizzard.

Daisy gasped out as the ice around her face melted. Yoshi and Luigi soon followed as I moved the fireball above the center of the area. Mr. Blizzard also began to melt as I kept it raised above us, waiting as my friends were freed from their icy prisons. My shoulders were stiff until I heard Toadette breathe again, as Daisy broke out of the remaining ice and ran back to us.

Once my friends were thawed out, all that remained of Mr. Blizzard was a slushy body, and his partially melted head.

"Good job…Princess," he gasped. "You've…won. I…surrender."

Hearing that didn't satisfy me, not like I assumed it would have. The fireball floated overhead and I guided it above Mr. Blizzard.

"Peach?" Luigi spoke up. "Peach, what are you doing?"

"He's too dangerous," I murmured.

"Who…danger…?" was all that Mr. Blizzard could manage.

"Stop! Peach, don't!" Luigi cried out.

But I didn't listen, as I released the fireball and let it fall in front of the melted snowman. A pitiful last cry of pain was all that we heard.

We watched as the fire burned the ice. Luigi shouted something, but I stopped listening. Tears filled my eyes as I summoned water from the ocean below and tried to put out the fire quickly.

It shined a bright blue color and I washed the flames away. But all that remained of Mr. Blizzard were burnt objects that he wore, and a large puddle.

I glared at the Bowser flag that continued to beat in the wind. As I guided the water back down from the glacier, I made a wave slice the flag off from the ice.

"Princess…?"

Sharply, I inhaled, and looked down at Toadette. She worriedly gazed up at me, but neither of us spoke. A tear dropped and I brushed it away.

"What have you done?" asked Yoshi.

"He was evil," I defended and scowled at Yoshi. He backed up, taken aback, and seemed quite sorrowful, fearful even.

"Who is the evil one, Princess?!" thundered Luigi and I locked my glare against his.

"Are you seriously asking me that?" I questioned.

"Yes, yes I am!" he snapped. "Bowser's taken my brother, seized control of these kingdoms, and hurt us all on multiple levels, but you know what he hasn't done?" I stood quietly as Luigi paused, waiting to see if I knew the answer. When I didn't fill in the blank for him, he continued, "Killed. Somehow, after all of this, not a single person is dead on your side. Meanwhile, we've taken down so many troops from Bowser's side that I've lost count."

"They're monsters, Luigi," I insisted.

"Are they?!" he challenged. "Blizzard was ready to give up, Princess. He didn't need to be incinerated."

"He did!" I shouted as my voice broke. "If I didn't stop him here, he could have done worse to another person! Who knows what he would have done?!"

"How?!" Luigi demanded. "He couldn't even move! All he could do was throw snow and talk! That's it! So long as no one else came here, who could he harm?"

"Luigi, Peach might be right about this," cut in Daisy. "Mr. Blizzard couldn't move, true, but why should this place be kept under his control? We needed to free the Glaciers. Now that he's gone, the Penguins can get rid of Bowser's troops without fear."

"Without…he helped build their palace!" defended Luigi. "If anything, we've given them something to be more fearful of!"

"I think Luigi might be right," voiced Yoshi. "If Blizzard helped the Penguins, we might have only made matters worse here. What if he was the one that kept the tension to a minimum?"

"While he kept Bowser's troops here?" protested Daisy. "Come on, that's no way to live. This guy…or, snowman…he was evil!"

"A necessary evil," I muttered.

"Peach?"

Quietly, I stepped over to the puddle and lifted the charred mitten. With a final glance at the other remains, I stood back up and walked past my friends and used my scepter to form a bridge from the ice stalagmites. Slowly, I crossed them as I silently walked back toward the ice palace, visible from this glacier in the distance.

After a minute, I heard small footsteps chase after me. And soon, my friends followed Toadette as she hurried after me.

Barely, I observed the other Glaciers below, watching for Bowser's minions. There weren't many, but there wasn't much that I could make out. Mostly, I watched the water and glanced between that and the steps that I took across my ice bridge. Each time the bridge stopped, I motioned for a piece from the back to break off and form the next part of the path, creating my own never-ending steps.

Eventually, we arrived back at the ice palace. The Madame Penguin stepped outside to meet us as I shifted the pieces from the bridge into a descending staircase.

"Welcome back," she greeted. "I'll take it that you were successful?"

"At the cost of Mr. Blizzard's life, unfortunately," I reported. "I understand that he helped you create this place?"

"Indeed, and it took a lot of his power to do so," she confirmed. "It's unfortunate that you needed him gone, but what's done is done."

"What will happen?" I quickly asked. "Without him, what will happen to this place?"

"Well, we'll be fighting to take back the rest of the Glaciers," noted the Penguin. "After that, I suppose we'll need to find another, um, 'winter wizard,' if you will, to help us continue to fortify our lands."

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

"Dear, there's nothing for you to be sorry about," insisted the Madame Penguin. "You did only what was necessary."

Somehow, her reassurance failed to comfort me, but I nodded.

"Thank you, Princess, for your kindness, in rescuing not only your land, but giving our people hope," she bowed to me. "We will no longer fear the tyranny of Bowser's forces."

"Have they done much to harm you?" asked Luigi.

"Nothing too over the top, but they've threatened our lives and taken control of more than a fair share of land," informed the Madame Penguin. "Mr. Blizzard was kind enough to protect us when they overstepped their boundaries, but we'll be able to take care of things from here, without him in our way either."

"Just don't over do it," I cautioned. "If you need any support, send word to my castle immediately."

"Of course. Thank you again, Princess Peach," she smiled.

With a nod, I turned away and led my friends away from the palace.

When we were a great distance away, across another glacier and bound for home, I uttered, "I just promoted war."

"Well, yeah," came up Daisy's voice. "You are in the middle of it."

"But I've done nothing to stop it," I murmured.

"Neither has Bowser," Luigi admitted. We locked eyes for a moment. "Peach, I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. It's just…well…"

For a moment, Luigi looked like he had more to tell me, with his mouth open and a finger raised, but he dropped his arm and shut his mouth as he scratched the back of his head.

"It's all right," my voice broke out. "You're just keeping an open mind. You just want Mario back. I get it." A tear slipped from my eye. "I really want him back too. But I don't…I don't know the right way to go about it."

Once we reached the bridge, I stopped walking. The others crowded around me, but I couldn't look at any of them. Instead, I dropped to my knees and tossed my rod aside.

And then, I cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh. That was pretty heavy, for the death of a snowman.
> 
> Anyway, yeah, Peach is not pleased with her own actions. She tried to save her friends, but might have gone just a little over the top doing so. Whoops. So, does that make her evil? Well…for now, I'll leave that for you to ponder. What was with Luigi, though, huh? It's like…he's actually considering the other side…? He's a bit harsh about it, though. But what's his issue…? (Am I only adding more questions than answering them? Oops, pardon me.) And then, Daisy and Yoshi were there. Hmm. (Toadette too!)
> 
> So, Mr. Blizzard! It was such an oddball choice, but I really wanted to change up the type of boss battles that Mario and friends are used to. Run over, jump on the head three times, yippee, we win. Yawn. Since I'm writing a story and not a game, however, I figured that I could toy with the way fights are handled, and I enjoy villains that appeal to logic and play mind games. None of that's really in Mr. Blizzard's repertoire; he just throws snowballs at his enemies. But, I felt creative and flashed my artistic license at creating baddies, so there he was! …But was he really a bad guy? He did work for Bowser…but he wasn't totally evil. And that begs to ask: is Bowser evil? …Isn't gray morality so much fun to explore?! (Please don't kill me.)
> 
> Other stuff: Toadette was a fun addition, and I enjoyed writing her with the group. But, she's such a little…"Peach pleaser," I guess. (She does work for Peach, though, so that's kind of her thing.) There was a gag at defeated Mr. Blizzard by running around him, which was how to defeat him in Super Mario 64. Madame Penguin just kind of happened, idk why. It was just, bam, new character. And I'm sure that you guys caught a certain cameo earlier, right?
> 
> That'll do it for me. If you have any more questions or want to shoot me some comments, reviews and messages really make my day. Next chapter will shoot back over to our leading coup…uh…hero…no…hmm. What do I call Bowser and Mario collectively, as of this chapter? …Screw it, they're still Bowsario, even while they're apart. After all…this is all written! (I tried.) Anyway, that's all, so thank you again for reading!


	23. A Yearning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still pining for Mario, Bowser finally pushes himself to win back his beloved's affections. Can his desperate approach actually warm Mario's heart? Or will he need something…extra? More importantly, will Mario actually forgive him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I couldn't decide about making this chapter long or short, funny or dramatic, harsh or mush, so…it's a little of both, and everything. And it's a chapter that, if you've read this far, you should have been possibly looking forward to, maybe, I hope. Either way, enjoy!

**[Bowser]**

Night fell as I wandered back into the hallway of our rooms. While I was focused on going to bed by this point, I slowed my pace as I neared Mario's door. It had been two days since he left…since I forced him out for the Games. My hand gripped the doorknob and I gently turned it open. Quietly, I slipped inside and shut the door behind myself.

He was already asleep when I came in, with nothing else to do, nowhere to go. Even in the dark, I watched his body steadily rise and fall. My heart raced while I inched closer to the bed and he shivered. Part of me begged to lie beside him and sleep with him, but another part screamed not to wake him or else. Conflicted, I stood over his bed and limited my breathing as I observed him.

As I turned to leave, a short tapping noise sounded from the floor. My eyes flashed back to Mario, who continued to sleep. Carefully, or as much as I could, I reached down and picked up a ball of paper. Mario groaned and I crept further away from him, back to the door. My heart continued to pound as I came toward it, with my eyes bouncing back and forth between escape and my lover, my prisoner. A bit too quickly, my hand slipped on the doorknob and opened it too hastily. He murmured again and I scrambled out of the room.

My heart hammered and I waited for him to wake up, with the door still open and me clearly visible. I didn't even know what he would do, or what I would do. But a minute passed, then two, and he continued to sleep. Exhaling, I pushed the door closed and gently shut it. Again, I waited and glanced down at the crumpled paper ball in my hand. With a shrug, I strode over and into my room.

"What the hell was I thinking?" I mumbled as I crashed onto my bed, burying my face into the pillow.

Momentarily, I picked my head up and peered at the paper, still clenched in my fist. Rubbish, possibly, but it is Mario's, so…I can't burn it right away. On top of that, it's also the only thing I got from my…whatever that was.

Slowly, I turn on a light, unwrap the paper, and open it up to several written lines. A letter. The words are upside down and I turned it over to start from the top. At first, I let it rest on the pillow and want to just read it from there, but my hands latched back onto the paper, as if I could hold him again by grabbing it. Instead, my head rested on the pillow while my hands locked the letter in front of me.

_My Dear Bowser_ —oh, damn him, it's for me. Did he plan this? …No, he couldn't have. I didn't even plan that.

With a sigh, I try to buzz through the words, but stop hard at the beginning. He writes that he's going crazy over my absence and I'm confused for a minute. "Metaphorically, probably," I dismiss it and try to continue, ignoring my heart plummeting to my stomach as I glaze over what he considers as the unrealistic relationship we have.

He goes on about how we haven't been together long, and that's when I realize it's dated. A month has already passed since I first started this. His compliments, however, drive me forward through the letter.

_Most of all, it was you who made me feel worthwhile. My cheeks burn up as I read that line and my hands trembled. I'm already dating him, or…was; either way, how can I feel so…?_

The letter goes on about how Mario gets sick of heroics and being everyone's idol. It's surprising, but then, not so much, now that it's written here for me. My breathing became tense as he stated that I helped him get beyond that, gave him confidence, protected him. I gave him everything…and he realized that.

_I had you. And yet, I left you._

Something stirred or grinded inside of my stomach while my hands shook more violently, and I couldn't understand what it was exactly. Sorrow? Rage? Confusion? Pain? What is this ambivalence? What do I call everything mixed into one?

Still, after steadying my breathing and hands, I kept going. (If I could read him questioning us, I should read an apology too, right?) He goes on about the past events we struggled with, and then asserted that he left for the Toad's sake, as he had during our fight. Though…he admitted then that he knew it was wrong, and that the whole situation was risky.

And I'm caught when he writes: _You hesitated to tell your son the truth, I've kept it from my friends; it was too much of a risk._ Our relationship, as it turned out, nearly cost me my entire army. He was right. And if he still hasn't told his friends, then he's still right about the risk.

Further along, his words line up with what he explained to me back at Seaside, that he realized he went against what I wanted for someone else…like the hero would. But he was sorry for it, and yet I…didn't listen.

And that makes the next words all the more painful: _It's probably too late to tell you so, too late to smooth things over, but I need you to know that I still love you, that I still want to have you in my life._ A tear slipped down my eye and I blinked to find that several had already hit the pillow. Damn him.

If that torment isn't enough, he insisted that he wanted to make everything right, claiming that I had already done so much for him. The letter explained that he couldn't think clearly, that his nightmares returned to torment him, even after he went home to his friends. And guilt panged inside of me when I realized that he shivered while asleep in the room just a slight distance away…I thought I helped him before, but now I…don't.

_Will you forgive me?_

Mario asked that, in spite of thinking it too much to ask me. Moreover, it was after he wrote what I thought was his wavering confidence in us, but here, he wanted my determination. He wanted us to still be a couple, regardless of his reservations over everything, even after everything…but before I had…

My mouth shook as I buried my face into the pillow puddle and sobbed a bit. "Why couldn't I have just listened before?" I heard my hollowed voice wail.

Filled with self-loathing, I slammed the paper over onto my table and pushed myself upright from the bed. How was it that he was going to fix everything, and then I went and screwed it all up?

Brushing my eyes, I glanced at the flipped over letter on my nightstand and saw something scratched down on the back. Just a single word, two letters, but it looked practically carved onto the paper, with how thick and deep the black ink went into it.

_**NO.** _

It was my answer to his request of forgiveness. It's what I gave him after he had looked to salvation from me, only to have it blow up in his face. As if I had been without sins, as if I had never made mistakes, and that's what I gave him when he begged for me back. Two. Icy. Letters.

"I'm a moron," I voiced my thoughts to no one but myself.

Digging my claws into my soaked pillow, I clenched my teeth together. I ruined us. Here I was thinking that he had given up already, that he was being too stubborn, but it was…I did this to us.

…Damn him.

"No," I forced out aloud. It hurt to hear, but I shook my head. Mario tried to put us back together and failed. He could have kept trying to explain this to me, but I forced him into submission, to give up. No more.

Determined, I rolled back over and began to plot out how to make this right. We both screwed up, but I'm moving past that and winning Mario back over. I'll just need to figure out how to get him to like me again.

Somehow.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

This morning, I was awoken by the pleasant sound of my door slamming.

Panicked, I jolted up, alarmed by my inability to jump up. My eyes refocused as I realized I was still tied to the bed. Groggily, I turned to the door and saw Bowser grinning at me, hands behind his back and the door closed.

"Good morning, Mario!" he practically sang. Even if my eyes were only half opened, I glared in response. "You look gorgeous!"

With a bit of drool still stuck on my face and an idea of how my hair must be standing up in several different places, anyone else would think he had lost his mind and I was inclined to agree.

Still cheery, he inquired, "So, would you like me to undo those binds?" _If you're looking for me to strangle you, certainly, you may._ But, as if he read my mind, he added, "I will if you promise not to lash out at me right away. …And you have to actually tell me 'yes' or 'no,' since I'm pretty awful at reading you."

No he…wasn't. "Fine, yes," I muttered.

Smiling, Bowser let one hand fall from behind his back and quickly scratched off the ropes that held my legs back, and then the ones on my arms. It was almost as if he wanted them off more than I did. And now that I got a closer look, I caught that his cheeks were rosy colored.

"Better?" he asked. I nodded as I rubbed my wrists. "Good!"

"…Are you all right?" I questioned.

He blinked and nodded. "Yes, I was just…well…" I gave the king a quizzical look and tried to peek around him to the door, but he shifted a bit, as if avoiding…

"What do you have behind your back?"

"Nothing," he lied. "Why would you think there's anything there?"

"You haven't moved your left arm since you walked in," I pointed out. "And you haven't turned away from me the entire time."

"I can't keep my eyes off of you!" Bowser insisted.

"…So, what do you have?" I nonchalantly asked.

He puffed out his cheek as he brought around a bouquet of red and white flowers and a heart shape box of chocolates.

"Are you kidding me?" I blurted out and my face burned.

"Well, I was trying to surprise you, but—"

"Why would you even think that this would make me feel better?" I snapped. "O-or that it would make up for anything?"

"Yikes, calm down!" Bowser placed the flowers and chocolates on the bed. "I didn't get this to make up for anything. It's just…the first part of…my…plan?" The last bit didn't sound quite convincing.

"Plan?" I repeated. "For what?"

"You!"

"…What?"

He laughed and strode back toward the door. "You'll see. Just get up in a little bit and then, uh, come on out?"

"I'd rather not," I folded my arms and turned away. "Besides, I haven't washed the entire time I've been here, again, and the last—"

"Time you ended up smelling really bad," interrupted Bowser. "Got it, a good shower will fix you up then! I'll go get it ready."

"Wait, what?" was all that I could get out before Bowser left.

A sigh escaped me and I stared at the flowers, which were carnations mostly, but I dug through them and noticed that he placed two Fire Flowers in between them. Either Bowser was trying to be very generous, or wanted me to burn him to pieces. The red box of candy I left alone as I pushed both away from me, along with the bed covers. Slowly, I turned myself to the edge of the bed and tried to fix my hair.

"Was he honestly relying on the most cliché method to win me back?" I demanded from my empty room. And honestly, I'm not sure what bothered me more: that he did that and expected more favorable results, or that I actually was flattered from the gesture. "I'm supposed to be angry with him," I murmured as I shook my head and forced my cap over my head.

Just as I stood up, a pounding sounded at my door and I fell back onto the bed. Bowser opened it a bit and poked his head in.

"Shower's ready!" he announced and grinned.

"Fantastic," I deadpanned and brushed my hands over my eyes.

He slipped back out and I grabbed my gloves and shoes. As I got up and trudged to the door, I hesitated. A minute passed and I shifted my clothes around. I pulled off my cap again and glanced at it as I added it to the pile. Another minute went by and Bowser popped his head through the door again.

"What's wrong?" he checked. "I thought you wanted to clean up."

"I did."

"Then what are you doing?" Bowser questioned. "You've got yourself together. Do you want me to have your clothes washed?"

"I—"

"Wait. That's a dumb question. Of course you do." He marched back in and took what I wasn't wearing into his own arms. "You can pass me the other stuff when you're in the bathroom, like last time."

"Last…?" I started, but remembered. "Ah, right. Sure."

"Well then?" Bowser walked back out the door and waited for me in the hall. I rolled my eyes and lumbered out after him.

The bathroom wasn't too far, so staying silent walking up to it made things easier. I went up to the door, but Bowser opened it for me before I could even touch it.

He frowned at my glare, so I clarified, "I'm not helpless."

"I'm just—"

"And I don't like to be mothered."

Bowser opened his mouth to defend himself, but shut it and nodded. I slipped past him into the washroom and closed the door behind myself.

Angrily, I threw my clothes off and glared at my reflection in the mirror. Instead, however, I paused and admired the white stones of the room, which were refreshing to the eyes after seeing nothing except black and gray corridors all day and night. Even in here, though, the curtains and rugs were red.

"Mario?" Bowser called in.

"Yes?" That's too soft. "What?" I snapped.

"Your clothes?"

"…Oh."

Quickly, I opened the door, shoved my clothes into Bowser's empty hand, and slammed it shut behind myself.

"Uh…I didn't look," assured Bowser.

"Good," I murmured as I walked away from the door and turned on the shower.

Hot water poured on me and I let each drop slide down my skin as I stood quietly, with my hand clutching a soap bar. The shower blocked out any noises that would have sounded outside, but it only gave me more time to think.

"He hurt them, and he hurt me," I muttered to myself. "I don't care how overly sweet he's acting. I can't just give in to him and pretend nothing happened."

Absent mindedly, I had doodled heart shapes around the steam-coated stones on the wall. Annoyed, I smeared them away and continued to wash off.

After about a half hour, I stepped out and slipped a red towel around myself, only to hear another pounding sounded at the door.

"What Bowser?" I wearily asked.

"Bowser?" questioned Kamek's voice. "No, it's just me, and I've brought you spare clothes."

"…Oh. Uh…just—"

"Here," Kamek called as the door burst open while the clothes whipped across the air and into my face. Within a second, the door slammed shut again. "You're welcome," the Magikoopa called in.

"Um…thanks?"

I pulled everything off my face, which included a red button shirt, blue pants, fresh socks and underwear, white gloves, and…I glanced up to see black shoes at the edge of the room.

"Lord Bowser requests you to dry and dress quickly," instructed Kamek. "He's looking to meet with you downstairs."

"Where his troops are?" I questioned as I dried off. "And some of which still want to kill me…or us? That doesn't sound smart."

"Too late, I've already tried to talk him out of it," murmured Kamek. "He's insistent on you going down there."

"And if I refuse?"

"Please don't," pleaded Kamek.

"Why not?" came my agitated response.

"Because then I'm to drag you down, dressed or not," he informed me. "Please tell me that you're dressed now."

"Getting there," I muttered as I began to dress myself.

"Could you hurry along then?"

"Not really, and I'm already going as fast as I can, whether Bowser likes it or not," I snapped. "He can wait an extra minute or two."

"Sure, it's only my hide, but please, take your time," complained Kamek.

As I buttoned the shirt and squished my feet into the shoes without untying them, I was compelled to ask, "Just who wears these clothes?"

"Koopas," answered Kamek. "They wear clothes too, sometimes."

"But who matches my sizes this closely?"

"Apparently, more than one Troopa," noted Kamek. "Are you done?"

"With your impatience? Yes, and beyond it too," I dryly responded. "You're worse than my brother."

"Well, your brother doesn't serve a fire breathing king with a short fuse temper, now does he?" questioned Kamek.

"True," I relented as I did the last button. "Though he might claim otherwise."

Kamek chuckled as I brushed my hair and shoved the gloves on. I opened the door and turned to see the old Magikoopa as he grabbed his wand and pushed off of the floor.

"Shall we?" Kamek gestured to the door and we walked over to it.

As he opened it and we walked into the spiral stairwell, I asked, "Does it bother you?"

"Working for Lord Bowser?" he assumed. "Some days, but I practically raised him myself, so I can't really hate him, and really—"

"Actually," I interrupted, "I meant our relationship."

"Oh. Ah, that," Kamek suddenly became fascinated with his wand. "Well, it's certainly atypical on several grounds."

"So, you don't approve," I figured.

"On the contrary," Kamek turned from his wand and gazed at me. "You're the first person in ages that the king has been trying to have a genuine romantic relationship with, and he could have chosen from far worse options." He paused on the step to adjust his spectacles, and then continued, "At least you're able to keep up with him."

"Keep up?"

"Physically, mentally, I'm not sure about emotionally, but I'm going to assume so," Kamek assessed. "I suppose it's only been about a month, but I find it more favorable than others."

"What about Junior's, uh…mother?" I inquired.

"Can't remember her," admitted Kamek. "Actually, it's as if the boy just appeared."

"That's…odd," I decided.

"Truly, but considering that we've never heard from the mother since, I wouldn't imagine her to be much competition to you," shrugged Kamek.

"Uh, I didn't mean to imply—"

"Of course you didn't, I'm joking," he chuckled. "…Mostly."

"Why does that sound familiar?"

"Well, I practically raised him myself," repeated Kamek. "Ah, here we are."

I blinked as he opened the door; I hadn't even realized that we had reached the bottom of the stairs. Rolling my shoulders, I stepped through and Kamek quickly hurried after me, readying his wand.

"That bad?" I checked.

"Quite honestly, I'm just not taking any chances," he explained.

No sooner had the words left his lips as a hex sparked and came at us. Kamek quickly countered it with a barrier spell, which he then launched down the hall.

It snared around a figure in the distance, which we cautiously approached. As we neared it, I realized it was an ordinary Koopa Troopa trapped in the glowing net. Kamek scoffed as he picked up a wand from the floor.

"What, your rebellious friends thought you could handle the master Magikoopa himself?" taunted Kamek.

"They didn't tell me that I'd be dealing with you," whimpered the Koopa.

"Serves you right then," Kamek mumbled as he waved his wand and in a flash, the Koopa disappeared. To my astonished face, Kamek simply uttered, "The dungeon."

All I could do was nod and follow Kamek soon after. He guided me down another four halls and led me up a smaller and straight flight of stairs, to another door.

"This is your stop," he pointed to the door and began to walk back down the steps.

"Aren't you coming in?" I asked.

"The king gave me the impression that it's just for the two of you," chuckled Kamek.

As the Magikoopa walked away, I tugged at my mustache. Exhaling, I pulled the door open and walked through it.

To my surprise, it led outside and onto a solid, wooden deck. It extended out a bit over the some of the land below, but I didn't see any ways down. Bowser sat by a table near the railing, with his head resting on his right hand, staring out at the mountains and volcanoes in the distance. On the table was a plate of love pudding, heartful cake, and love dish noodles. He turned and grinned the second he noticed me, quickly pushing himself up from the table and knocking the food off in the process.

"Damn it!" Bowser growled and glared at the mess he made.

"I wasn't hungry, anyway," I mumbled and shrugged.

He returned his attention to me and smiled, but I turned away and walked to another side of the deck, which had part of its view obscured by a tower from the castle. Bowser lumbered up behind me and put his right arm around my shoulders as he grabbed the railing. I scowled, but didn't push away from his warmth, his…no.

"Do you think I should build this out more?" he asked. "I don't really get many chances to come back here, and I haven't taken you out before, but now that we're here, yet the view could be better, so—"

"You should do whatever you please," I muttered and kept my attention fixed on the scenery, trying hard not to look at him.

We sat in silence for a minute, but Bowser broke it, "Would you like me to serenade you?"

"No."

"Want me to…" he wrapped his arms around me, "keep you warm?"

"It's hot out here," I deadpanned and pushed away from him.

"…Would you like your hat back?" Bowser asked as he shoved it down onto my head.

"Thanks," I snapped and shoved it up above my eyes.

"Well, at least that was a more positive response, if only a bit," Bowser tantalized.

"Is this all you brought me out here for?" I demanded.

"What's wrong with me trying to spend time with you?" he groaned.

"Here's what: I'm still angry at you!"

"For how long though?" he questioned. "Mario, I've practically begged for your forgiveness, apologized repeatedly, tortured you, tormented myself, publically revealed our relationship, fought for you, and now I'm swarming you with love and attention. What does it take?" At the last part, he grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "Just tell me! What do you want from me, what do I do?"

My arms flew up and knocked his away. "Not that!" I yelled. "None of this! I just…I need my space, all right?"

"But I—"

"Bowser, just leave me alone," I pleaded. "Please?"

He stared at me, begging longingly with his watery red eyes. "If that's what you want," he relented.

"That's not what I want, I just…I don't know," I admitted. "I…I need to go."

Barely watching him nod, I pivoted and hurried back to the door, closing it too quickly behind me as my heart raced.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

I flinched at the door slam and grimaced. My claws dug into the railing and I carved at the wood beneath them. Hearing the railing beginning to crack, I relaxed my grip and pulled myself away from the edge.

"What does it take?!" I bellowed to sky. "What do I do with him?! Why am I hated every time I try to fix things?! Why can I never find or bring happiness to someone without having it thrown back in my face?! What does it take to not be such a screw up over everything?!"

My hands clawed through my hair, with an intention of ripping a few strands out. I panted as my breathing steadied, but my heart still hammered.

"Once. Just once, can't I make things right?" I moaned. "Am I always going to be the villain to everyone?"

Shaking, I dragged my left claw over my face and heaved.

"How can I get Mario to like me again?" I pondered aloud. "I've poured my heart out to him, I've given him everything that I…"

Wait. No, I haven't yet. It's a stupid idea, but considering how awful I've done already, what have I got left to lose?

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

Regret filled me as I stared at the door from my bed. Any minute, I was bound to run out and go searching for Bowser. Forcing myself to roll over, I threw the pillow over my head and peeled my attention away from such thoughts.

However, the sound of the door bursting open got me to push myself back up and to turn around. Bowser marched in, with a long black wand in his hand. It had a red jewel at the top of it, but other than that, I wasn't certain if it was a personal scepter.

Moreover, his expression was hardened, even as he lifted his eyebrows to gently shut the door behind himself as he stormed in. I wasn't able to read just what he was feeling, which made my heart sink.

"Bowser, look, I—"

"Don't start, please," he pleaded. "I know you don't want me around, but I just need to give you a few things."

"But—"

"Yes, I know you're sick of my surprises already, but this is the last one for today, I promise," he explained as he waved his wand and opened a portal hole above me. Papers rained down on top of me as they coated my bed in a short matter of time.

"W-What is all of this?" I asked.

"It's all…for you," Bowser smiled and sat on the floor to watch me.

With a puzzled look plastered on my face, I dug around the papers and pulled one up from the pile, and then another. His handwriting was all over each sheet.

"Read them," Bowser insisted.

"Uh…all right." I cleared my throat before starting:

_"Dear Nobody, since I'll never tell anyone about this,_

_Today, when Mario came by to get Peach back, the sun actually poured in through the hole in the roof and shined so magnificently on him, that I gawked blankly at him for the first two minutes he had rushed in._

_Worse still, he grabbed me by the tail to throw me around, but his touch keeps making my heart pulsate, as I grow used to it._

_I don't want to imply that I'm falling for him, but…I'm starting to like it."_

Turning it over, I find nothing written on the back.

"Read another," Bowser persisted. "I kept throwing them aside, so they'll seem like I should have written more."

"But—"

"Please? Just do this for me and I'll leave you alone, I mean it," he vowed.

With a sigh, I grabbed another paper and read it:

_"Today, Mario invited me to head out go-kart racing with him and the others. Usually, he just sends me a flier in the mail, or I just drop by parties and sport events unannounced, but this time, he specifically came to me and asked me to come. I think I accepted a little too eagerly, but screw it; I've been dying for him to do this. Who knows? Maybe we can distract each other on the racetrack a bit. Actually, wait, that's dangerous, forget it. But still."_

Again, I glanced at him, but he just kept a smile on his face. Though I wanted to tell him that it was enough, Bowser kept shifting his attention between the pile and I. With a sigh, I picked up another paper.

_"Roses are red,_

_Violets are blue,_

_Mario, when will you learn,_

_That I'm really into you?"_

I place it down and smirked at him while he blushed.

"That was cheesy, but I couldn't help myself," he chuckled.

"It was adorable," I teased as I grabbed the next paper. _"Damn Mario and his stupid mustache. For some reason, I couldn't pull my eyes away from it as I kept thinking about him kissing me. I bet every girl in the kingdoms that has the chance to steal a kiss goes wild over it. Just once, I'd love to do the same. And then after that, if he was up for it, we could—"_

"No, wait, not that!" Bowser snatched the paper away and crumpled it up, blushing furiously. "Ah…ha, I forgot what that was about until the last sentence came up."

"There was still a lot left written on that," I complained. "I wanted to read more."

"Uh…m-maybe another time," Bowser scratched at the back of his head. "Just…read another instead."

Shrugging, I picked up another letter and read off:

_"Dear Mario,_

_You'll probably never read this, and I'll lock it away somewhere you'll never see it, but I just wanted to tell you that I love you. Wow, this is dumb, but there, I wrote it down. And I don't care how much you love Peach, or that this might gross you out, or that you'll never really know how much you mean to me. But I've put it down somewhere, so now you know. And you know what? I'll sign this stupid thing so you have no questions knowing who wrote it._

_Love,_

_Bowser_

_Ha, that's right, me! Bet you'd never have guessed…or felt the same. Oh well."_

We lock eyes and he sheepishly smiled.

"How long have you had these for?" I asked.

"Uh…a very long time, longer than I care to admit. And I…really never thought you'd read that," he laughed. "Even now, the whole never finding out bit sounded accurate."

"But it's not," I pointed out.

"Of course it's not!" Bowser grumbled. "I just thought it sounded that way."

Stifling a laugh, I grab the next one. It's much longer.

_"Mario,_

_Let's get this cleared up:_

_You're a moron."_

My eyes lowered as I glanced up to glower at Bowser.

"H-Hey! Don't stop there!" he protested. "K-Keep reading it!"

"I don't know about that, this is a really long one," I admitted.

"At least read a few lines!" whined Bowser.

"Fine." I skimmed through the lines and read a few bits out:

_"How could you not see that I'm doing this…all of it…for you?_

_…_

_Sure, you look a little pudgy from time to time, but that means you eat, unlike the boney princess…Of course, the mustache is a plus, as anyone could tell you._

_…_

_It's not so good of a performance, however, that even you should be deluded by it. You're better than that and I know you are._

_…_

_If I were to yell out, 'I love you,' would you hesitate then? Would you think more carefully, with a cleared mind, away from all of the lies?_

_…_

_What happens after, when the tyrant Koopa king relents in attacks and suddenly goes out to more and more parties and sporting events with what everyone foolishly considers his arch nemesis?_

_…_

_But it's you I prefer by far. I don't know how else to say it, but I prefer the more masculine and strong types. It makes a suitable match for me, reflects how I am as well._

_…_

_I need a sign. I've told you so many times how important you are to me._

_…_

_Are you nervous too? Are you afraid to bring out your deepest feelings? Can you not stand the thought of playing any role beyond the hero?_

_…_

_Yes, conquest. As I said, it's all for you. I act like a vicious ruler so no one can see my tender side, my vulnerabilities. In truth, I would probably make a very normal, if not boring, empire._

_…_

_That's the point of total conquest for me: take control of everything, no more opposition. No more sides. You would be with me. There would be no more acting. I wouldn't need to make an excuse to see you or work with you. You would be mine and I would become yours. We could rule, both of us, together._

_…_

_I delude myself with how much I want from this._

_…_

_My heart bleeds and, more than anything, I fear that we will never be together._

_…_

_There would be someone, somewhere, that would deny us, refuse our love. We would be outcasts. I would be overthrown from my kingdom. You would be banished and labeled traitor to the Mushroom Kingdom. They might even hunt us; do everything possible to separate us._

_…_

_I wonder, again and again, if there could be a perfect world for us. I could wish on all the stars for us to be together._

_…_

_There's so much that I wish to know. I want so much from you, from myself. I'm not brave, not like you. I'm afraid. I'm insecure. I need you, your guidance, to let me know if I'm right. I need to know if you want what I want. Mario, you are everything to me. No, you will never know, but you are everything that I could ask for, all that I pine for._

_…_

_Years will trickle by. We will engage eternally in battle. We will never be together. We will die, again and again, longing for an impossible end. But as I've said, you should know by now: I will never give up._

_Eternally never yours,_

_Bowser"_

"That's a few lines to you?" laughed Bowser.

He stopped as soon as he realized that I wasn't laughing with him. My heartbeat fired up as I read through the words and grew lost in everything Bowser poured out over this letter. And he would have never showed me, thinking that we would never have been together. But now…

"Right," Bowser grunted as he stood up. "I'll, uh…I'll get going then." He turned away and started toward the door.

"Wait!"

I stumbled out of the bed of papers and scrambled to stop him. He pivoted back to me and caught me, helping me back up.

"Mario, what are you—?"

"You should read mine!" I blurted out. I went to reach into my overalls, but realized that I wasn't wearing them. "Uh, hold on, I must have…"

"Your apology?" he inquired. "I read that already."

"What? Oh, good, but not that." I zipped back to my bed and dug under the mattress for my own letter, the one my brother returned to me. "Here, I brought this and, um, it's similar to yours." I handed him my letter and he slowly took it. "I…I don't know what to say really. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," chuckled Bowser. "It'll be a fun read, I'm sure."

"No, not just that," I shook my head. "I'm sorry about…being so cold and unforgiving and treating you so horribly, even after you did so much to get me back. And…well, I didn't mean to be so—"

"Stop. You're good," he wrapped his arms around me and smiled. "After all of the years that I've been so nasty, even if I was just acting, I kind of had a little backlash coming. And…well, we still have a lot to work out, with everything going on."

"Then, let's get back to it," I offered. "Back where we were before, together."

"That's all I wanted," Bowser laughed. Softly, he put his head down on mine and pulled me in closer to him, and whispered, "More than anything, I want you."

Returning his embrace, tightly, I moved my head up and kissed his neck. His arms tightened around me and squeezed me into him.

"We should read the rest in your room," I suggested.

"Why Mario," he gasped and pulled back. "We just got back together, and you want to hurry into my bed already? Are you sure you're ready?"

He snickered and burst into a roar of laughter as I punched his arm.

"Oh, come on," he slowed back to a controlled voice. "It was there."

"You're bad," I murmured.

"Yeah, that's the one thing I'm good at," he sighed.

"No, no you're good at a lot of things," I informed him. "Like being a Mario reader."

Bowser blinked blankly at me before he erupted into another fit of laughter.

"Ok, there, I used it," I kneed into him. "Quit it."

"I can't," he coughed. "That was so perfect."

"Right," I hid my chuckle and turned back to scoop the letters from my bed. I stopped when I felt him tug me back to him.

"Hold on," Bowser purred. "We need to make our relationship official again."

"With how determined you were, I didn't think you considered it over," I teased.

"With how thick headed you are, you act like you don't want what comes next," he fired right back.

He leaned down while I smirked and his hands scooped up my face. We shut our eyes as I moved closer and took in his warm, refreshing breath. Our lips don't touch just yet, and I tease him with the tip of my mustache, as I rub my hands across his cheeks.

"Now you're teasing me," he softly moaned.

"Yes, and I love it," I snickered.

"More than me?" he playfully asked.

Smiling, I pressed my lips against his and gently moved my mouth along his. He groaned as my mustache pressed against him, and pushed his lips further into mine. Softly, his tongue slid across them, parting them open a bit. We pulled back briefly to take a breath, but I quickly dived back into him. His laughter is lost between us as his tongue grazed against mine and we deepened the kiss. A minute passed, maybe two, but our breaths run short and we're forced to break apart again. We opened our eyes and I lost myself back in his fiery, bright red eyes.

"I like making up," Bowser chuckled. With a soft growl, he pulled me back in closer, and seductively whispered, "But I love you."

"I love you, too," I breathlessly returned.

"You realize that I'm never letting you come back to this room again, right?" he softly asked.

"By now, I wouldn't want to," I confessed.

With a giant grin, he pushed my hat off and tossed it aside. We shut our eyes and kissed once again, slowly losing track of time, and completely losing track of the world around us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they're FINALLY back together! Huzzah! The ship rises back from the depths of hell, and it is saved!
> 
> Gosh, it's been a while since Bowser and Mario kissed, huh? I suck at romances, I guess. (But, perhaps that makes me good at dramas! …Maybe? No? Ok.) Oh well, I was itching to get this chapter written and posted, as it's not much of a love story if the main couple isn't together for too long.
> 
> Hopefully, neither one comes off as too much of a jerk; Bowser's a bit pushy, Mario's a little over critical, but they're not perfect…individually. (Together, however, they're unbeatable! …Yeah, I wish.) Anyway, for better or worse, they got back together! Which means Bowser can go back to being a pervert while Mario can be artsy and sappy, because why not.
> 
> The little bit with Kamek and the rebel Koopa lets you know that, while Bowser's regaining control, he's still got dissenters within his ranks. (Hey, those friendly Koopa and Goomba villages needed to come from somewhere.) It was a pretty small incident, but the main dynamic was Bowsario, so whoops to those that wanted more brawls and stuff. (Even though there's been a lot of fighting for the past few chapters now. Huh. When did I switch to the action genre?)
> 
> Anyway, Bowser and Mario, back together. Warm and fuzzy feelings for everyone! (Just make sure it's not a Fuzzy; those guys are jerks and proud of it.) So, what will happen from here? Well…it is a romance, so the sappiness isn't quite done just yet. (More mushies, yay!) Besides, Bowser's Castle hasn't actually had to deal with Bowsario in full force yet, so that. As for the ongoing war…who knows? Oh, wait, I do. Uh…look, Bowsario kisses! (That should make a clever getaway, right?)
> 
> That's all here. If you'd like to cheer for the happy couple, or comment in general, send me a review or message! Those make me as happy…ok, maybe not as happy as those two, but pretty happy on my own merits! Thank you again for reading!


	24. An Abnormality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back together and with nothing to hide, Bowser and Mario try to adjust to life in the castle with a public relationship. Naturally, however, things go awry from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuck, this took me much longer than I wanted to take to write it up. But, it's here, no fear!
> 
> Oh, the world is right when we have Bowser and Mario happily together. So, let's have a nice, light but lengthy, mushy chapter, yeah! (And start it out with the fuzzy fluff right away, too!) Enjoy!

**[Mario]**

_Underneath a silver shrine, between pillars adorned with star shaped carvings, I sat between Bowser's legs, resting against him. We gazed out to the dark night sky, crisp, starry, as we looked out from the purple mountaintops. Bowser slid his arms around me and pulled me into his belly, which was warm, heated, relaxing._

_"What should we wish for?" He whispered softly, sweetly to me._

_"Wish? I…I don't know," I admitted as he scooped my hands into his._

_"We'll have to think of something just right," he murmured, gently rubbing my hands with his thumbs._

_"But we already have what we want, don't we?" I asked him, and glanced up at him._

_"It's not about what we want, though, is it?" Bowser countered, and I lowered my head as he put his atop mine._

_Then…what was this about?_

My eyes slowly opened and I pushed myself up from the dark red pillows. Still tired, I rubbed my hands over my eyes and tried to refocus my eyes.

"Hey, you ok?"

A light amount of worry in his voice helped me open my eyes again. Bowser walked from his ebony wooden wardrobe, back over to the bed and sat down on it, facing me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I smiled to his fiery red eyes; even in the darkened room, they stood out sharply.

"You didn't have another nightmare, did you?"

"No, but I was at Star Hill again." I sighed. "Actually, we were both there. Something about a wish we were making together. I…didn't really understand it."

"Sounds pretty romantic to me," he purred and smiled mischievously, inching over, closer to me.

"Maybe that's all it was," I murmured, though I wasn't as certain about that.

"Or, we could look into it, today." His arm glided across the bed sheets as he lowered himself next to me, his face neared mine. "I've got all the time in the world for you."

Smiling, taking in his hot breath, I shook my head. "No, you've got your own schedule to work with," I reminded him, and leaned over to put my face near his.

"There's always those days where you can't get any work done," he seductively whispered, cupping my face with his hand, lightly scratching at my mustache with a nail. "And maybe, just for today, I came down with something. You couldn't get me out of bed." He widened his grin while bringing our faces closer, air stifled. "So, I'll give Kamek some assignments, check on Junior for a bit, and then come back here, with you…"

He pressed his lips against mine and we shut our eyes. I kissed Bowser back, lifting a hand under his chin, rubbing softly. We broke apart for a minute for a breath, but quickly went back to kissing each other. He slipped his tongue into my mouth and ran it over mine. I shivered as I let mine slide against his before it retreated back behind his lips. Again, we broke apart, breathing heavily, but smiling.

"Well…?"

"Answer's still 'no,' Bowser," I refused him again. "We can spend more time together later."

Disappointed, Bowser groaned. "Why must you be such a good little…? Fine. But, we should work on it later, tonight. Ok?"

"Sure, definitely." We exchange smiles, but I raised an eyebrow. "You did mean my dreams, right?"

"What did you think I meant?" He playfully grinned again and moved his arm down near my leg.

"Nothing in particular, just checking," I pushed his arm away.

"You sure?"

"Get going, Bowser. You're up early enough for work, so get to it."

"Yes, dear," he mockingly huffed, and forced himself up from the bed. Then, with a wicked grin, asked, "Or should I call you 'my fire?'"

"I gave you that in confidence."

"And I loved it."

"Then don't mock it."

"But I'm not, I'm just using the title you gave me," Bowser teased.

"Go, or I'll pulverize you."

"Want me to make it easy for you?" He walked over to the door and swayed his hips and tail around. "It's your favorite target, remember?" I lobbed a pillow at him as he laughed. "So, I'll see you later then."

"Goodbye, Bowser."

"Unless you want me to jump back onto that bed and we could—"

" _Goodbye_ , Bowser."

Again, he laughed and opened the door. Slowly, Bowser stepped out of it and turned around to stare at me again. He couldn't shake the smile stuck on his face, causing me to keep smiling back.

"Mario…I _really_ don't want to leave."

"I'm not going anywhere this time."

"Great, but I still don't want to leave you."

We sat quietly for a minute. Still, I shook my head. "You have things to take care of, and I don't want to distract you."

"Too late."

"Bowser—"

"All right, I'm going." He pried himself away from the door and closed it, leaving me to get myself ready.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

Though I told Mario that I'd go, my legs stayed anchored just a bit outside of my room for another three minutes. After that, I forced myself over to my son's door and knocked.

"Junior? Son? Are you awake?"

Slowly, I opened the door and let myself into the bright green room, stepping where there were less toys scattered about. Junior hopped up from his bed and gave me a hug.

"Morning, Papa!"

"Good morning, Son," I laughed.

He let go and stared at me, smiling, but…unusually quiet, or hesitating.

"Something on your mind, Junior?"

"It's just…you're really happy again, Papa," my boy observed. "You haven't been like that for a little while now."

"Really?" I played oblivious to the notion. "It hasn't been that long, has it?"

Quietly, Junior nodded.

"Oh. Well, uh—"

"Did Mario finally start talking to you again?" He actually sounded intrigued over that.

"Um, yes, he did."

"Ha, I knew it!" Junior let out a light laugh. "I heard you laughing a lot when I woke up and I knew that you were with him again."

"Uh…g-good job, Junior." Though I commended him, I grimaced, hoping that I hadn't been loud enough for him to hear everything.

Junior caught my contorted face and tilted his head. "Are you ok, Papa?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, Son," I nervously chuckled and shifted my legs uncomfortably.

"Are you sure about that?"

_Actually, no, but I don't know why,_ I thought as I took in a deep inhale of air. "Junior, uh…w-what do you think of Mario? Now that he's…um—"

"Dating you again?"

"…S-Sure, right."

"Well…" He stopped for a minute and thought it over. "When you guys aren't fighting, he makes you happy, so that's good."

"Right, right, but…" I rolled a claw through my hair, struggling of how to ask him. "Junior, what do you think of him, without how he makes me feel?"

"Oh. Um…I guess we'd…need to hang out more." Again, Junior grew lost in thought, but shrugged this time. "Really, if he's not making any of us mad, I think he's ok."

"Good. Uh…so, what do you think of Mario staying?"

"Here, with us?"

"Yep."

"I guess I can get used to Mario being around." He smiled and nodded, decided over his opinion. "So, do I start calling him my papa too? Or do I wait until he and you get married?"

"Junior!" I gasped. My face flared up and I could only imagine my glowing red cheeks.

"What? What'd I say?"

"N-Nothing wrong, it's just…well…I-I don't know if he's…you can wait on calling him 'Papa.'"

"Ok, so after you guys get married."

A lump welled up in my throat and I forced it down. Trying to turn it into a joke, I forced out what I thought was a laugh and, "What, are you marrying me away?"

"Well, don't you love him, Papa?" It was an innocent question from the boy, yet it made my heart hammer harder than when I was with Mario before.

"I…yes, but…" My hands trembled, even as I tightened them into fists.

"Well, if you love him, you have to marry him, right?"

"N-No, not right away." I'm pretty sure I had at least one drop of sweat trickle down the back of my head.

"But some day, right?" He still smiled up at me, while I tried desperately to control my breathing and heart rate.

"Um…well…I…suppose…b-but it's not…going to be anytime soon."

"You mean like not until next year?"

"Uh…ah, maybe longer."

"…Two years?"

Flustered, I pat him on the head. "Junior, we'll talk more about this later, ok?" _No, no we won't._

"Ok, see you later, Papa!"

We hugged before I hurried out of his room and rushed down the hall, not even stopping to wave to Mario, who had just slipped out of my room.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

My mouth hung open as I gently closed the door behind me and watched Bowser zip down the hall, disappearing into the stairwell. Blinking, I turned to see Junior walk out of his room.

"Hey there, Junior."

"Hello Papa Mario!"

"…Papa?"

"Uh…sorry, that's…just forget it," Junior giggled. "So…what's the next sporting event you're planning? Have you started on that yet? They're really fun."

"Oh, I haven't actually thought about those in a little while," I admitted. "Which one is your favorite?"

"Um…I like all of them, really!" Junior smiled, but then frowned. "Oh, sorry about all the trouble I've given you, since that time on Isle Delfino."

"Nah, it's fine. You were just following your Papa's plans. Which…you're actually pretty good at, now that I think about it."

"Thanks!" He beamed with delight, joy. "I like making him proud, but I like him happy more. You're really good at that!"

"Ah…I guess so," I chuckled as my face flared up, bright with a blush. "What are you up to today, anyway?"

"Probably going to practice fighting with my Junior Clown Car," he decided. "And then without it. I want to spit fire like my Papa does someday."

"You'll get there, I'm sure."

"I hope so. Thanks again!"

And with that, Junior sped off, cheerfully giggling, down the stairwell as well. With both of the royal Koopas out and about, I decided to head downstairs myself.

As I exited the stairwell, however, that proved to be a less than ideal idea. Down the hall were two Magikoopas, a Shy Guy, a Lakitu, and three Goombas. As soon as the group caught sight of me, they charged down after me.

Quickly, I ran off to the right and glanced into doors to see if anyone would be willing to help me.

"Just hold still, Mario!" The Shy Guy shouted as a shaped hex spell ripped across the room, missing me.

"Come on, hit him!" shouted a Goomba and I glanced back to dodge the Lakitu's Spiny Egg.

Unfortunately, most of the other rooms I passed were either empty, or the soldiers inside simply were not paying attention. Except for a pink…or Red Boo, that laughed when I ran by.

Eventually, I hit a dead end, and glanced up. The ceiling was far too high and I didn't have a chance of wall jumping to the top. Turning around, I watched as the unruly group rushed in to corner me. The Magikoopa raised their wands.

"Game over, Mario," giggled one of the Goombas, and the other two laughed.

Suddenly, a glowing, blue fireball shot forward and blasted to bits above me. None of its embers rained down on me, instead falling in front of me. As soon as they hit the ground, taller pillars of bright blue fire spiked up from the ground. A sizzling noise hissed from the other side of the pillars, which died down slightly, still burning forebodingly on the ground.

When I watched the two Magikoopa, they had panicked faces, and the entire group pivoted around. Abruptly, the Goombas were knocked about while the other four dissenters scattered. Roy cracked his knuckles and strolled through, with Ludwig and his wand in tow.

"Fascinating." Ludwig's single word caused each of the rebels shiver, tremble in their places. "In spite of watching just how dangerous the Bowser Games were, you fools still seem to think that rioting is just a fantastic idea, to the point where you'd kill Mario while he's without an escort."

"L-Lord Ludwig," pleaded the Lakitu, "p-please sir—"

"Excuse you." Roy pounded his fist, with a light, faint shockwave firing out and knocking some of the troopers over. "My brother wasn't done talking."

"Thank you, Roy." Ludwig cleared his throat. "The seven of you are to be taken to the dungeons by yours truly. And since we recently had others go through a trial, I highly doubt Bowser will be looking to give you the same opportunity. If he lets you live in the dungeons, that will be lucky on its own account."

"How did you even know about us?!" blurted out a Magikoopa. "Not even Kamek had suspected us!"

"Treason against not only Bowser, but Kamek as well?" Ludwig laughed. "You're just racking up strokes against your lives."

"How did you know?!" snapped the other Magikoopa.

A quiet, cheerful cackling was heard. From the wall beside me, the Red Boo passed through and giggled.

"Ehee hee hee! Guilty, which was me, Ruby! Ohohoho!" The Boo laughed and teasingly floated around the dissenters. "You should have planned your route more carefully. As soon as I sighted Mario, I went and got him some help right away."

Outraged, the Shy Guy jumped to swipe at the Boo, who flew out of reach and laughed again.

"An attempt on my life may not net you as much trouble as an attempt on Mario's or the royal family's, but that's certainly not going to help your cause!"

"He's right," agreed Ludwig. "But, please, continue being disruptive. It's not as if you're all already in deep enough."

Visibly angered, but with nothing left to do, the group quelled down as Ludwig cast a blue binding spell around them.

"Thank you," I whispered to Ludwig, who shrugged.

"Don't think I'm doing this because I like you. This is just the enforcement of punishment that my King has declared on any dissenters." He glanced over to his brother. "Roy, stay near Mario for a little while, or take him to the other Koopalings. I'll take these idiots to the dungeons."

Tightening the binding spell, Ludwig caused it to burn the seven slightly as he forced them to trudge back down the corridor. I turned to Roy, who shrugged.

"People get confused and think that I'm the more sadistic one." He let out a light laugh. "I mean, they're not completely wrong, but Ludwig can really crank it up when he wants."

"So I noticed. Still, thank you as well."

"No problem."

"And you too," I turned to the Boo, who snickered while he floated freely.

"My pleasure, ehee hee! It's always fun to make others miserable, especially if they have it coming to them!"

He disappeared behind the wall with a roar of laughter. I blinked and turned to Roy, who shook his head.

"Boos are freaky."

"Tell me about it," I agreed. "One trapped me in a painting…twice."

"Ah…right, that…King Boo."

"Yep." I paused and raised an eyebrow. "Have you met him?"

"Uh…nope, not me."

Roy shrugged and waved me on to follow him. I hesitated at his response, but followed him all the same.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

With a heavy sigh, I shifted in my throne as several soldiers debated their plans and strategies to me.

"Sire, all I'm asking is that we reinforce our troops more." A Boomerang Bro. shook his head. "The Mountains and the Skyline will need their defenses fortified if we want to maintain the fortresses there."

"You're on about that, but we still need support before that," countered a Goomba. "Peach's forces will be after us in the Jungles next."

"If we keep sending out too many forces to those other areas," argued a Koopatrol, "we'll weaken our homeland's defenses. We don't need the Mushroom Kingdom being able to rally against us here."

"There is still a chance to use Mario strategically." I picked up my head up from my hand as the Blue Guy…or, blue Shy Guy, interjected. "Oh, not as any kind of bait, Your Highness. Those were from ploys with Peach and they never worked out anyway. What we should be looking to do is utilize what Mario knows about the coming threats against us, create countermeasures—"

"No, no countermeasures," I interrupted. "I'm not asking Mario to help us think of ways to hurt his friends."

"…Sire, you do realize they still have every intention of brutalizing the rest of us, even if Mario no longer does?" I nodded to the Koopatrol, who threw his hands up at my response. "Then we need to act!"

"Actually, I wasn't counting on using violence with my tactics," explained Blue Guy. "What we need to do if find ways to disable Mario's friends in whatever offense they try to mount against our defenses, not prepare counterattacks against them. Once they're unable to defeat us, we can try to settle them down for more peaceful negotiations."

"Peace?!" snapped the Goomba. "This is Princess Peach! She's as vicious as all of the other rulers have been. What we need is to stop her."

"You misunderstand," Blue Guy shook his head. "We have Mario with us, and we still have that leverage against Peach. It's not down to how we use her against him, but how he helps all of us to cooperate with one another—"

"No, no cooperation," the Goomba challenged again. "They'll only figure out how to turn the screws on whatever deal we make and have it backfire against us."

"To be candid, I agree." My head sank back into my hand as the Koopatrol joined in. "Sire, we understand that you don't want Mario involved any longer, but—"

"But nothing," I asserted. "We're not using him."

"That kind of sentimentality will get us all killed!" The Goomba gasped as I stood up from my throne, perhaps knowing my reaction just as he utter the words.

"You would dare to question my orders?" I roared at him.

"Absolutely not, no! Sire, please—"

"Out of anyone here, you—"

My throne room doors slammed open as the yellow robed Snifit hurried in, with Boom Boom and Pom Pom in tow.

"Oh, excuse us, sire!" Jasmine bowed. "We didn't mean to interrupt."

"What's the big deal if we did?" asked Boom Boom. "He'll want us."

"And what will I want you for?"

"Isn't this a war meeting, of sorts?" questioned Pom Pom. "You're going to want the two us to work as additional units to fight off Peach and friends, right?" I nodded. "Then we'll do just that. After all, we were so delighted to hear about your new relationship with Mario, weren't we Boom Boom?"

"We were?" Pom Pom punched his arm. "Ouch. Uh, yeah, definitely!"

"If you're looking for some type of reward out of this, you'll actually need to do more than just slow Princess Peach." I scratched under my chin.

"Well yeah, we can knock their heads around and then some," assured Boom Boom.

"All right, then I'll defer further tactical discussions to the two of you." The Goomba and the Koopatrol bowed and walked out with Boom Boom and Pom Pom.

Blue Guy was following them, but stopped by Jasmine.

"Hi there!" She cheerfully greeted him.

"I…uh…h-hi." A smirk slipped onto my face as the Shy Guy waved. "Um—"

"Hey, Blue!" I shouted. "Flirt less and get going! They're going to need you for the proceeding discussions."

"R-Right, yes, sire!" He timidly hurried out of the throne room while Jasmine watched him go.

"Yes?"

"Oh, right! Master Kamek was also looking for you, Lord Bowser."

"Fine, thanks." I watched her tap her mask as she studied the nearest window.

"Jasmine."

"Y-Yes?"

"You're pretty level headed. Go help Blue and the others."

"Certainly, sir!"

She hurried out of the room, ran back in to bow, and ran off again. I chuckled as I walked from the room myself.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

Roy led me down another hall, snarling at a Spike and a Paratroopa that glowered at me as they passed, and we came up before a wide brown studded door. He stopped and turned to me. I hadn't told him how we had gotten back together, but he was curious about us dating again, so I told him an abridged version of yesterday and this morning's events.

"So, he was going to take the whole day off just for you?"

"Yep."

"And…you told him not to. Why?"

"Well, he is a king. He can't spend every day drooling over me."

"No, I get that, but you two haven't been together all that long. Shouldn't you, I don't know, spend a few more days together? You've spent years fighting each other."

"That's true. I…I don't know. I don't want him going over the top for me."

"Wow. You're _way_ too late for that." Roy laughed. "The whole castle thinks he's gone insane over you."

"Do they really?"

"Yeah. I think it's cool that he's really into you though."

"Thank you." Oddly, talking with Roy had been far more easygoing than I had anticipated.

"Sure. Anyway, I got other work to take care of with Larry and Morton outside of the lab here. Iggy's working on tech, or whatever. Lemmy might be helping him. And Wendy should be there for a little while too. You should be fine."

With a frown, I nodded. "This feels like a burden on you guys."

"Nah, you just need to wait for things to simmer down some. Then we'll…uh…"

"…You know what? Maybe I'll go visit Bowser for a bit, when the others come by for me."

At that, Roy smiled. "You got it!"

"Great." I paused for a minute as he went to open the door. "Hey Roy, you enjoy making Bowser happy too, don't you?"

He froze as his hand was outstretched for the door. "Uh…kind of, yeah. Just…I'm not sure about the others, honestly."

"Just you?"

"Um…yeah, or as far as I know. So, uh, don't—"

"Stays between us."

"Cool. Thanks."

Roy pulled the door open and we walked in. The room had lighter stones decorate the walls, with light bulbs and lamps lighting up the room instead of torchlight. A few long, white desks were set up as various workstations, with Koopas and Monty Moles working at the different tables. A good number of them looked up to see me, and slowly stopped working. Larry and Morton made their way over to Roy.

"We ready to go?" Roy asked.

Morton nodded. "Sure, I'm looking to fix up the Clown Cars already."

Larry stared at me and I tried to smile to him. He leered at me in response, scratching the blue star marking on the side of his head.

"This is still really weird," confessed Larry to the others.

"What is?" questioned Roy.

"Uh, him," Larry deadpanned and pointed at me.

"Relax, little bro. Mario's cool," Roy assured his brother.

"Even still, I'm not so sure." He glanced at his other brother. "Morton, what about you?"

"It is all new to me too," admitted Morton. "But, I don't really mind much."

To that, Roy nodded while Larry shrugged. After that, the three of them walked out of the room, and I was left to find the other three Koopalings. I walked over to the first table, where a Koopa eyed me suspiciously and covered up his current project.

Deciding on a calm, sociable approach, I stood beside him. "So…what kind of weapons are you guys building?"

"We don't always build weapons," snapped the Koopa.

"Right, sorry. Um…what are you working on?"

"Nothing for now."

I opened my mouth and went to point as his towel covered supplies, but he pulled everything together and walked away from me.

Moving to the next table, I walked over to a Monty Mole, who was hammering down a nail on a block…with a wrench.

"Do you double as a Rocky Wrench?" I asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Well…that's why I asked."

"Good for you." Quickly, he also snatched his supplies and took off.

Barely glancing at the other troops scattered around, I had the feeling that none of them would want me near them. Catching a glimpse of the three Koopalings in the back, I went straight over to them.

"Just how much longer are you going to be, Iggy?" questioned Wendy.

"It'll be done when it's done, Wendy." Iggy grumbled. "You can't rush good things."

"Yes you can."

Iggy used a screwdriver on what appeared to be a mechanical Chain Chomp. Lemmy watched him while Wendy read a book. I grabbed a stool and sat next to them, with the Koopalings pausing their activities to study me instead.

"Um…hi?"

"Hi Mario!" giggled Lemmy. "This is new."

"Guess that's what today's been about for everyone I met."

Wendy bookmarked her page and snapped the book shut. "Ok then." She glared at me. Then, slowly working her authoritative voice up, she commanded, "I. Want. Details!" I raised an eyebrow at how excited, cheerful the last word sounded and she suddenly ran around, practically reappeared, to the other side of me.

"On…what, exactly?" I inquired.

" _Everything_!" Uh oh. "I want to know the story from your perspective. At what point did you fall in love with Bowser?"

"Kind of, uh, early? I just kept coming here, or he joined in with sports and other adventures, so the more I saw him, the more interested I became."

She nodded. "Yes, Bowser had a similar response. That's…so _cute_! Ok, ok, next part!"

"Come on, Wendy," groaned Iggy. "Are you just going to have him reiterate Bowser's story from before?"

"Absolutely!" She waved her book at us, titled, _Simply Star-Crossed_. "The main couple in this book is far less interesting than what our king and Mario here are going through, and I need to know every last bit of their much cuter relationship."

"Everyone already knows about the relationship Wendy." Iggy took off his glasses and wiped a hand over his eyes.

"From Bowser's side!" Wendy argued. "I want to hear Mario's!"

"It's the same thing."

"With probably adorable differences!"

"Sure," deadpanned Iggy, "instead of Bowser sobbing over Mario running away, we get Mario sobbing over having run away."

"…That's a very distinct difference!"

"I don't mind retelling it," I offered.

"See?!"

"Well, I mind listening to a rehashed story." Iggy put his glasses back on.

"Ugh, you're such a buzz kill." Wendy pressed her head against the desk while Lemmy pat her back.

"They're back together, at least," the smallest Koopaling offered.

"Ooh, yes!" Wendy shot back up, knocking Lemmy over. "When did that even happen?! Did Bowser serenade you with all sorts of love words and silly gifts?"

"Um…yes, actually?" I admitted, surprised at her accuracy.

She squealed. "That's super cute! Ok, ok, what was the one thing that got you back into his arms?"

"Wendy, I'm trying to work," moaned Iggy.

"Why can't you just let me have this?!" Wendy snapped. "What, you can't be bothered listening to the cutest love story?!"

"No! I can't!" thundered Iggy and he slammed down the screwdriver. "It's distracting!"

"Why?!"

"Because it _is_ cute and I want to give it my full and undivided attention!"

"…Oh."

Wendy blinked as Iggy tooled around with the mechanical Chomp, which started up and barked, but short-circuited seconds later. Frustrated, Iggy banged his head on the desk, while I became deeply fascinated with the shelves of inventions, Mechakoopa, and larger tools, including drills and sledgehammers.

"…You know what might help, Iggy?"

"Not now, Wendy."

"He's right here," she sang.

" _Not now_ , Wendy."

Lemmy bounced back up and looked at me. "So…what'd you think of the Bowser Games?"

"They were pretty dangerous." I shook my head. "Honestly, I was worried that one of the prisoners might have died."

"Oh, nah, they weren't…um…" Lemmy glanced up and stared at the other troopers in the lab, who were either focused on their work or observing me, not listening to him. Quickly, Lemmy finished, "…Yeah, it was really great that they all made it out. Lucky too."

He pulled out a small yellow bouncing ball and dribbled it around, leaving me perfectly perplexed over his answers. To take my mind off of it, I returned my attention to Wendy and Iggy, with the former poking the latter in the arm.

"Will you cut that out?!" snapped Iggy. "You're driving me insane!"

"Iggy, you're always insane."

"Hush, that's the secret."

A Koopa walked over to a cabinet nearby and opened it. A miniature mechanical Chomp barked and leapt out, tackling the startled, screaming Koopa. Iggy snickered while the rest of us stared from the fleeing Koopa to Iggy. Wendy shook her head.

"…Did you really?"

"What? I love pranks!"

"That's not a prank. That's terrorizing."

"Same difference."

Stifling my own laughter, I shook my head and went to look back around the room, but the lamp on the desk grew brighter.

"Is there a way we can turn this down?" I asked and pointed to the lamp.

"Sure, I got it." Lemmy hopped over and switched it off.

Instead of improving my sight, the other lights in the room grew brighter instead.

"Better?"

"Um…no. Everything else got brighter now."

"Wait, what?" Iggy stopped working and looked around. "I don't think anyone made their lights brighter."

"Are you all right, Mario?" Wendy tilted her head, as she looked me over.

The door opened again, with a gray-shelled Buzzy Beetle and a mint green Blooper wandering inside. Catching a glimpse of me, they made their way to the back of the room.

"Beg your pardons." She floated lower and appeared to curtsey with her tentacles. Master Mario is needed, at the great Lord Bowser's request." Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the Koopalings rolling their eyes.

"More like wanted, Miss Olive," corrected the Buzzy Beetle.

"Ah, fair point, Sir Glaucus. Either way, we'd like you to come with us, Mario."

"Sure. I'll see you three around."

Each of the Koopalings waved as I followed the two servants out of the labs and back into the halls. Oddly, though the lighting dimmed, everything still appeared brighter.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

Kamek finished giving another Magikoopa instructions and sent him back out to the courtyard, where several others practiced dueling one another. Various hexes and spells fired across the area, with bright colors and magic dust lighting up the place.

"Sorry," Kamek apologized as he walked back to me. "That one would have encased himself in stone with his casting form. Now, where were we?"

"It's just, I don't know," I sighed. "Junior was going on about us getting married, and I just can't focus on that. He's already trying to call Mario his papa too!"

"You…do realize that your son brings up a fair point." Kamek stroked under his chin.

"Yes, yes, he'll have two fathers. If anyone tries to harass him over it, I'll tear them apart so quickly—"

"Actually, I wanted to focus more on the marriage aspect of it. Others around the castle have discussed the matter too."

"What?!" I cried out. "Why that?!"

"Because for the first time ever, we'll have two kings that rule over us."

"So?"

"How many years have you ruled over this kingdom on your own?"

"Then imagine how much better I'll be if I actually have someone else helping me. Uh, no offense."

"None taken, I can understand where you're going with that. However, are you truly ready to have Mario step up and take a joint role of ruling beside you?" Kamek adjusted his spectacles while I stood quietly and folded my arms to think. "Sure, he may not be your exact equal, but, he'll certainly have a prominent role in…well, a large number of decisions and actions you make."

"It's something to consider, but I'll…I don't know, figure it out as I go. Mario and I definitely won't agree on everything; he cares too much about people that I could easy stomp all over." I shrugged as Kamek shook his head. "But…well…I guess I want to go through those changes with him. We'll learn and grow together. That may not be the best approach, but we won't really know about what tomorrow holds until we get through today."

For a minute, the coot observed me in silence. "That's…very mature of you."

"Listen, you old fart, I happen to know a few little gems of wisdom, even if you steal most of them away."

"I suppose you'd have to." He burst out laughing while I growled. Calming down, he continued, "Anyway, let's discuss present events. When are you proposing to Mario?"

"W-What?! I have no idea! We just got back together!" My hands clawed through my hair and I tugged on my horns.

"Yes, yes, how wonderful," Kamek murmured, undettered, "but really, we do need to consider the near future."

"Who thinks that's the near future?! We haven't had more than a single date! Mario might not even want to marry me!"

"Have you asked yet?"

"Of course not!"

"Worth a shot," he muttered. Back to a normal volume, he carried on, "Regardless, I haven't had the chance to prepare for a royal wedding, so excuse me as I immerse myself in studying up on that."

"You…you've married troops before!"

"Troops. Castle weddings. I've never married off a king before. I'll need to learn just what measures I should take to make this an unforgettable moment in Koopa history."

"But…we're not getting married!" I protested.

"Not yet, of course. Some day, however, is always right around the corner!"

Kamek then grinned widely. I turned around and saw Olive, Glaucus, and Mario approach us. With a yelp, I jumped back as they approached.

"Is everything all right, Sire?" Glaucus checked.

"Uh…y-yes, it's fine. He's fine—I'm fine!" My cheeks began to burn as the three exchanged confused looks and Kamek broke into another fit of laughter. "Um, Mario, come on back inside with me."

Still confused, Mario slowly nodded. In spite of Kamek, I scooped up Mario's hand and took him back inside with me. We strolled over to a door and slipped inside of a trooper break room. A Goomba happened to be in there, but one quick snarl sent him flying through the door at mach speed. I sighed and dropped my hand from Mario's crashing down on the tacky lime green couch. He eyed me with a raised brow, but I ignored it and pulled him onto my lap.

Throwing my head back, I moaned out, "I think I'm going to be sick."

"You? What's wrong?"

"People are already expecting us to get married."

"Us to _what_?" He pushed himself up slightly, but I pat his head and ruffled his cap a bit.

"Relax, nothing's happening yet." I assured him. A grin popped onto my face, and, suggestively, I added, "Unless you're as impatient as everyone else is."

"No, I…I'm good." He sighed and I laughed.

"Exactly. And I'm not ready for it either. But…I don't know, my son was asking about it, Kamek brought it up, I heard that it's a hot topic buzzing around with the latest castle gossip…and I'm just not thinking about that right now. And I know it's not on your mind either."

"Not really, no." He paused and thought about it again. "Well, it wasn't until now, anyway. I'm sure you haven't so much as entertained the notion either."

Thinking back to the time Junior caught us, I realized that it had crossed my mind. "…Uh…"

"…You've seriously thought about getting married? To me?" His voice had a mixture of disbelief and…was it hope?

"W-Well…maybe for a quick…it-it's not important and now's not the time!"

Flustered, I turned my head away to focus on the black fridge and counters, face blazing. He laughed and reached up to kiss my cheek. I looked back to him and we shared smiles. My arm slid around his back, but he slumped back down onto my lap.

"Too fast?" I joked.

"No…it's…really bright," he mumbled. I blinked and noticed that Mario had grown paler. His breathing now appeared irregular as well. "The lighting has been…like this? It seems harsher ever…since I left the lab."

"Mario?" My grin dropped quickly as I carefully rearranged us to have Mario lie down on the couch, his head on my legs. "Hang on a second." I tried to place my hand against his head, which was a little hotter than usual. "Did you catch something?"

"Maybe, I must have."

"Damn it, I shouldn't have kept you in that dank room for so long." I grumbled to myself over my foolish choices.

"But…I felt perfectly fine earlier," Mario murmured. His eyes widened and he stared directly at me. "What happened?"

Baffled, I raised my eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

"Your eyes are…blue. And your scales…they're a dull blue."

"What?" My body was still the yellow-orange amber it always was.

"And your hair is…gold now."

Blinking, I quickly yanked a stand of hair from my head and looked at it. Red.

"Mario—"

"There's…someone…behind you."

My eyes widened and I glared behind me, but only a blank stonewall met it.

"Um…there's no one here, Mario."

"It's…right there." He gasped. "With a dark colored robe…black…? Glowing eyes?"

"But…who…?"

Without another word, Mario shut his eyes and turned his head into me. Frightened, I shook him a few times and shouted his names.

No response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, fooled ya. Guess we forget about the Drama with the Romance, huh?
> 
> Ending put aside, that was a pretty cute chapter, right? Mario getting attacked, having issues fitting in with people whose friends he's killed…oh, wait, those are the negatives. I mean, awkward family and marriage talks, yay!
> 
> Actually, I reveled in Bowser dealing with that subject, because he's made plans to just further his own plans using marriage, but he hasn't had his family bother him over it, nor actually tried to get married solely for love. (Marrying Mario doesn't gain additional benefits of kingdom conquests, unfortunately.)
> 
> But yes, I wanted to try a chapter where Mario tries to actually adjust and live in Bowser's Castle, because hey, what would that be like? He also hadn't shared a scene with Junior and hadn't dealt with all of the Koopalings, so, two birds, yeah! Besides, who didn't want Mario awkwardly talking to Bowser's kids? How could you not want that? What do you mean, "because it's not Bowser?" They were great together, you're crazy.
> 
> As for throwing in the geek squad servants with the names again, well, I'm just trying to keep them fresh in your head. Love my crazy OCs please! I'm just kidding, I don't mean to be annoying with them, but they will be around for a little longer. At least Peach's Castle doesn't have this much annoyance with character overloads, right? No? …Oh well.
> 
> So, what's going down with Mario at chapter's end? That'll be revealed in the next chapter. Sort of. …Ok, it'll start to be revealed next chapter. Just know that it's all connected, and that we haven't seen the end of Bowsario kisses. Until then, Bowser will probably have a panic attack (or several) and start yelling at everyone (help, I'm not safe).
> 
> And that'll do it for now. Comments and criticisms are welcome, via message, review, or any other means. They're simply delightful! Thank you for reading! Here, let me pass the tissues.


	25. A Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Mario hallucinates and faints, Bowser summons Kamek and the Koopalings to figure out just what happened to the plumber. Meanwhile, Mario goes through a very dark and deadly adventure…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, this story actually reached 25 chapters! Is…that's an accomplishment, right? Yes? No? …Well, it's not done yet, so either way, darn.
> 
> Anyway, spoiler warning: Characters sort of die in this chapter. Yes, sort of. It'll make sense as you read, but if you're not cool with death situations, I'd advise you to skip…pretty much every part from Mario. It's nothing major, but there actually is blood in his second segment. Again, nothing spectacular, but I figured to let those who are easily disturbed know about that in advance.
> 
> Good, now that we got that cleared up, you may now continue to read as a turtle monster panics over his sleeping boyfriend. That…it's better than it sounds, honest. Um…um…enjoy!

**[Bowser]**

Mario shuddered a bit, but otherwise remained silent and unconscious. I scooped him into my arms and hurried out from the break room.

"Sire?" A Goomba stared up at me. "What's—?"

"Go get Kamek and send him up to my room immediately!" I barked. "And if you don't, I'll burn you alive myself!" With that, I hurried off, surging through the halls and rushing back upstairs.

I kicked the door open to the corridor, thinking that I might have knocked it off its hinges, and then bashed my door open as well. Gently, I placed Mario down on my bed and carefully watched him.

"Papa?" I glanced back quickly to see Junior appeared in the doorway. "Papa, what's wrong? I came up to get my paintbrush and then I heard the doors…" He stopped behind me. "What happened?"

"No idea!" I burst out. "One minute, everything's fine and I'm just ranting to him about all of the little things that stress me out, the next he's slumped over and seeing things that aren't there." I clawed through my hair and tugged on it. "He was fine just this morning! I leave him for just part of the day, let him go alone through the castle, and this is what I get!"

"Wait, Papa—"

"It's not that I didn't see something like this coming, but so damn soon?!" My voice breaks, and I can't tell if it's from anger or anguish. "We just started to move past our fight, and now this! It's like the universe just doesn't want me to be happy, ever!"

"That…Papa—"

"So help me, son, I will find the blasted dissenters that did this to Mario and wring their necks until they—"

"Papa!"

"…What?"

"Was anyone else even with you?" I blinked and spun back to Junior.

"N…Not with us, no. But they wouldn't have to be!" I shook my head around and pulled my claws down the sides of my face. "Junior, I need something to punch that I won't regret later."

"Um…use a pillow?" I reached over and grabbed the pillow Mario wasn't on, throwing a punch that sent it flying against the wall. "…I don't think that's going to help."

"Maybe I should burn it instead!"

"Papa, that's not going to make Mario better, and it's not going to help you."

Again, I stared at Junior, who patted my leg. Slowly, I took a deep breath, exhaled, and nodded. Quietly, I turned to Mario again, and my shoulders dropped.

"Did you get Kamek?"

"I sent a Goomba to do it."

"Ok, I'll go get the Koopalings."

Junior hurried out as I silently nodded, and continued to helplessly watch Mario.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

My eyes snapped open to the dark, midnight blue sky above me. Slowly, I went to push myself up, but stopped upon noticing the gravelly, purple ground around me.

Star Hill? Again?

"Mario, you're up." Bowser walked over from a few feet away and pulled me up to my feet. He smiled and rubbed my back, but I couldn't feel anything.

"I can't tell anymore." No kidding.

"Relax, you are." I turned to see Luigi join us. When did he…?

"Good, are we ready?" Peach?

"Don't be so impatient, Peach!" Daisy?

Both of the princesses walked over to us. No one started attacking Bowser and he seemed completely comfortable, not only around them, but with me. Confused, I wanted to ask them if they knew anything, but nothing came out.

"All right, the path ahead should lead us to the shrine," Luigi explained and started walking off. "Mario and I will keep you three safe." What? Bowser wouldn't need our protection. And Peach and Daisy should be—

"Bah, I won't need it," Bowser grumbled.

"Oh no?" Luigi smirked. "I thought you promised Mario." Me?

Bowser and I glanced at one another, with him nervously smiling. "W-Well, I…uh, all right."

He took my hand and we followed Luigi up a trail, past a large stone star embedded into the ground. Only two ends of it were fully out of the ground, with two more half buried and the last end of it underground completely. I squinted and noticed the right side was chipped a bit.

"Keep moving, Mario!" I shook my head as Bowser playfully tugged me after him.

While we wandered along the cliffs, I watched as flaming bird flew overhead, and then away from us.

"That bird, again…?"

"Mario? What is it?" I turned back to Bowser, who was watching me, but puzzled.

"Didn't you see it?"

"No, what?"

"It…" I whirled around and tried to find the bird again, but all that I saw was a steep drop down. "Never…mind."

The king laughed. "Maybe you woke up too soon."

"Was I really the only one who saw it?" I turned to the princesses, who both shook their heads.

Luigi shrugged. "Don't worry about it, bro. Come on."

We pressed onward as the trail began to narrow, with another mountain wall appearing behind us. Ahead, the path led behind a powerful waterfall.

"Pretty romantic, huh?" Bowser nudged me, and then tugged me closer with a wink.

"All right, kiss and make out later, boys." Peach waved her hand to send us forward.

"Jealous much?" Bowser teased, and we moved after Luigi.

"Daisy, can you pass the pack?" Luigi called back as he walked near the waterfall.

"Sure, hang on!" Daisy hurried after him and handed an Item Bag over. "Be nice if we had some power-ups in there instead."

"Says you," Luigi laughed and took out a canteen.

"You're not going to fill that up, are you?" I shouted, nervously eyeing the waterfall as Bowser and I passed it.

"What? No, it's full already."

Luigi went to take a sip from it, but spat the water back out as Daisy shouted. Bowser and I spun around and saw the trail behind us give way, with Peach falling from the cliffs. Her hands flew out and she grabbed the ledge.

"Peach!"

Quickly, I dove down to catch her, but a cracking rock was all I needed to hear. She screamed as she fell through the air, down into the murky abyss below.

**"PEACH!"**

Water splashed into my eyes and I cried out as Bowser pulled me back. Everything faded from around me, until all I heard was the crashing waters beside us. Then nothing.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

Slightly, Mario shook a little in his sleep and winced a few times. I covered his legs with the blanket, but I wasn't sure if he was too hot or too cold.

"Mario?" I touched his head, which burned, and I dragged the blanket back off. He shivered and I sighed, pulling it back over his legs. "Even when you sleep, you can't make up your mind."

Studying him, he continued to have slight movements for a bit, but then stopped. His breathing was a bit tense briefly, but he seemed to relax now. I tried to shake him, but he wouldn't get up.

"Hey!" I shouted near his face. Nothing. With a grunt, I sat down on the floor beside him. "Can I bribe you up with a kiss?" No answer. Still, I chuckled. "Didn't think so."

All I wanted was for Mario to at least acknowledge that someone else was with him, even if he didn't understand whom it was. Gently, I rubbed his stomach with one hand, and gripped his hand in my other.

"See? I should have spent the day with you." I chuckled again. "Because we ended right back in the bedroom anyway." If only he could actually laugh with me.

Another minute passed before I heard the stairwell door squeak open. I watched the doorway as Kamek shuffled over, panting.

"Wow, did you actually run?"

"Couldn't…find broom." He heaved deeply, and then straightened up, walking over to Mario. "When did this happen?"

"A little after I pulled him inside, after my troops brought him over by us."

Kamek studied him quietly, trying to discern his symptoms from normal problems. "It's certainly not anything normal, such as a cold or exhaustion. If it's a spell, I should be able to get rid of it."

He slipped out his wand and waved it around, as it glowed with a colorful cloud over Mario. I watched Kamek move his hand in odd gestures as he shook the wand. Glancing at Mario, I couldn't see any visible changes.

"Well?"

"If this is a spell, it's a powerful one." He shook his head. "I can't detect what it is or how to remove it."

"You're the grandmaster sorcerer," I argued. "If you can't, then who can?"

"Probably no one." Annoyed, I smacked the back of his head. "Sorry! I didn't…" He shook his head and loosened his grip on the wand.

"Do you know for certain that it's magic related?"

"To be honest, no, I'm not sure," Kamek murmured. "It's…it doesn't seem like the spells that I'm used to."

"Those damn rebels must have conjured something up." I growled.

"Maybe." His tone didn't sound convinced.

"Papa." We turned to Junior and the seven Koopalings in the doorway.

"Come in." They each made their way inside and took turns looking at Mario and one another.

Larry stepped forward. "What happened? He was fine before."

"Were you with him?"

"Uh…not really, but Morton and I saw him."

The youngest Koopaling turned to Morton, who nodded. Turning to Iggy, Morton asked, "Wasn't he with you?"

"Yes, while we worked in the lab." Iggy adjusted his glasses. "Wendy and I babbled over him and other nonsense."

"He was fine while we were in there," added Wendy. "I even talked to him while I argued with Iggy."

"Me too!" Lemmy chimed in. "Oh, but before he left, he complained about the lights being too bright."

"Right, there was that." Wendy tapped her fingers together. "But, otherwise, he was fine when he left. At least…he seemed it."

"He complained about that with me too," I recalled. "Did he hallucinate around you three?"

"What? No, not at all." Iggy stared at Mario, and tilted his head. "He escalated."

"Roy, he was with you too," Morton piped in. "Did we miss something?"

"No, I don't even know what this is about." Roy shrugged. "He talked with me the whole way to the lab and didn't complain about anything once."

"When was he with you?"

"After Ludwig and I stopped some idiots trying to kill him." Ludwig nodded.

"So, they were after him." I grumbled.

"We stopped them, sire," Ludwig contested. "Roy and I showed up just as the lot tried to corner Mario." He folded his arms. "There were two Magikoopas, but Mario didn't show any signs of taking a hit from their spells. Nor did he show visible damage from other attacks."

"If this were Magikoopa magic, I'd have it cured already," Kamek concurred. "They couldn't have used normal spells on him."

"Could they have learned something else?" Ludwig questioned.

"Not under my watch." Kamek thought for a moment. "They couldn't have picked anything up quickly, either, not of this level." He adjusted his spectacles. "No one knew about the relationship until Bowser let it out a few days ago. Even if anyone disagreed with him prior to that, we didn't have the insurrection issues that brewed over the past few days. They wouldn't have thought about learning something that I couldn't detect, let alone developing the proficiency to do so."

"So…what?" Roy glanced at Mario, and then turned to Kamek. "They didn't do it?"

"The dissenters? I'm highly doubtful of it." Kamek sighed. "But that only makes this more difficult and frustrating to understand."

"Well, we brought our wands," Lemmy sounded and brought his out. "Should we try something together?"

"Yes, that's a good idea."

Junior and I watched as the seven Koopalings took positions around Mario with Kamek. Each of the eight twirled their wands around and began casting different spells to see what they could do.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

My eyes snapped open to the dark, midnight blue sky above me. Quickly, I jumped to my feet and stared ahead. Bowser turned and walked over to me, with Luigi and Daisy behind him. None of them seemed bothered by the fact that the princess had just fallen to her death just minutes ago.

"Mario, you're up." Bowser smiled, but I shook my head.

"Peach."

"Huh?"

"How did that even happen?! It was fine when we went over it!"

Luigi put his hand on my shoulder. "Mario, are you feeling ok?"

"Ok?! Not even close!" I batted his hand back. "Didn't you see what happened to Peach?!"

"You too, Mario?" My head jolted at her voice. Bowser and Daisy stepped aside as Peach walked over to me, arms folded. "Honestly, I tripped one time too many, and suddenly Toadsworth has everyone having heart failure over me."

"Tripped?" My mouth dropped in disbelief. "You…you fell!"

"Same difference." She rolled her eyes. "I'm a big girl, Mario. I'll be fine."

"Hey, lighten up," Bowser grumbled. "He's just making sure."

"No, but she…she…" My eyes traveled around the area wildly. Quickly, I ran ahead and up the pathway.

"Mario, wait a minute!" Luigi ran after me as I skidded to a halt. The stone buried in the ground was off to the side. Two ends visible, two only partially so, one not at all. Right side…chipped.

"That's too close to the one from before," I murmured.

"What one? We haven't seen a star stone like that for a while now."

Bowser, Peach, and Daisy came up the path and stopped near us. Everyone stared at me as though I had lost my mind.

"Is…everything all right, Mario?" Daisy slowly asked.

"Before, we had just passed…we…" I glanced back and forth between my friends and the rock. "We were here already. Just a little while ago."

"Was it in your dream?" Bowser inquired.

"No…it was…" I hesitated. Perhaps before was the dream. "Wait, maybe…now I'm not sure." But…if it had been…how did the details line up so well…?

"We'll be fine, Mario." Peach placed my hands in hers and smiled at me. "It was just a dream."

"I…I'm not so sure."

In spite of that, I followed everyone onward. The trail led the same way, growing narrow and with a deep edge to nothing right next to us. Luigi still led us forward, but the bird didn't show up this time.

Eventually, we reached the waterfall again. I stopped for a moment, nervous.

"Pretty romantic, huh?" Bowser nudged me, and then tugged me closer with a wink.

"All right, kiss and make out later, boys." Peach waved her hand to send us forward.

"Jealous much?" Bowser teased. He moved forward, but I froze on the spot. "Mario? What's wrong?"

"Daisy, can you pass the pack?" Luigi called back as he walked near the waterfall.

"Wait!" I shouted and stepped in front of Daisy.

"Why?"

"This…this is it!" I whirled around to Peach. "Before…in my, um, dream, you fell, no you…you died here."

Peach's eyes widened. "Right here?"

"No, as we went behind the waterfall." I bit my lip and glared at the raging water. "The path beneath you collapsed and we couldn't save you." Staring at her hands, I shook my head. "Where's your scepter?"

"Toadsworth has it right now," Peach explained. "I gave it to him and the others when we split ways." Not good.

"How did she fall on her own?" Bowser questioned.

"Well, Daisy went ahead to Luigi, we followed, and Peach was last…"

"Let's try to change the order then," Bowser suggested. "Luigi already went, but Peach and Daisy should go first. Then you, and I'll go last."

"No!" I firmly grasped Bowser's hand, but it barely felt like anything. "I'm not letting you do that!"

"It's probably a weight thing," guessed Bowser. "If all of you go before me, then I go, and it'll break once I'm across."

"We can't take that risk. I can't lose you!"

"Isn't there another way?" Daisy wondered.

"We don't have enough time for that," argued Peach. "Mario, we'll go first, and then you walk across with Bowser right after. If we're quick, we might all make it."

"That is not a smart idea!"

"We don't have a lot of options right now." Bowser shook his head. "Let's just try it."

Before I could argue further, both Peach and Daisy hurried past the waterfall. Bowser smiled confidently at me, and we charged after them. Crumbling rocks sounded behind us and I glanced back to the path break behind Bowser's tail. We hurried across and moved beyond the waterfall. Looking back, the others gazed in awe at the missing segment of the trail.

"What happened?" Luigi inquired. "I didn't hear anything you guys spoke about."

"Mario dreamt of Peach dying from the path breaking," Daisy explained. "So Bowser sent us first and we all rushed across just in case."

"And that turned out to be a very good idea," Peach joked. "But in all seriousness, thank you, Mario." Bowser cleared his throat. "Uh…I suppose you helped too."

"You suppose?" Bowser growled.

"Ok, you guys can thank me by not arguing." I ushered everyone forward and Luigi led the way onward.

As we approached a cave ahead, I saw the flaming bird fly over it. It seemed to wait around until we got close, but then flew off before anyone else could notice it.

"What is it, Mario?" I looked back at Bowser, who had tried to follow my gaze into the sky.

"A bird. It flew off, though."

He nodded and we followed the others into the cavern. Though dark, it wasn't very long and we could see the exit a slight distance away. A few dripping noises sounded around the cave, but I couldn't quite tell where they came from.

"Hey, I think I see the shrine up ahead." Luigi jogged forward. "Come on, everyone!"

His words echoed through the cavern. A slight rumbling sounded and I heard something hard crash down next to me.

"What?!"

"Stalactites!" Peach shouted. "Hurry!"

Several more came raining down and crashed around us. Peach and Daisy cried out and I heard Bowser roar. His figure towered over us and hunched over.

"Bowser?"

"I've got you three covered, just hurry up! Go!"

Quickly, the four of us ran for the cave's exit. Luigi waved us on as we neared him, when a loud cracking snapped out over the quaking rumbles. Something heavy pushed the princesses and I forward. Stumbling, I spun around.

"No! Bowser!"

The Koopa king laid half buried under several rocks, dragging himself out from underneath them. Blood dripped across his body and his shell was shattered, with many of his spikes either chipped or broken completely. I ran back to him and tried to help him up.

"W-Well…what do you know." Bowser coughed. "Once upon a time, this…would have made everyone happy, huh?"

"Shut up." My heart raced and I fumbled as I held him up. The others ran over and tried to help Bowser to his feet, but it was no good. He crashed back down to the ground. "Bowser, please! Get up."

"Maybe…in a bit." He groaned. "Just…need to rest."

"You can't," Daisy shook her head. "Bowser, we need to get you over…" She gazed at the shrine, which seemed miles away.

"Mario…?" Weakly, he looked up at me. "Can you just…stay with me?"

"We need to keep going—"

"Please?"

Nodding slowly, I slumped down in front of him. Even if I couldn't feel it, I stroked my right hand on his cheek, running my left hand through his hair. He smiled and stared right into my eyes. Burning, beautiful red orbs locked onto me, and then slowly shut.

"Bowser? …Bowser, please!" I clutched his head tightly and wailed. **"BOWSER!"**

Trembling, I squeezed my eyes shut. The Koopa King gave no response.

* * *

 

**[Bowser]**

Mario began to quake in his sleep and looked as though he was in pain.

"Stop, stop a minute." The eight lowered their wands and watched as I checked on Mario. Placing two fingers onto his neck, I leaned back. "His heartbeat skyrocketed! What did you do?"

"Nothing that should have caused that." Kamek checked Mario as well, jumping back upon feeling the hammering heart. "That's not possible."

"Is he having a nightmare?" Junior's question made my eyes widen.

"The nightmares. They started before the rebellions did." I turned to Kamek. "Does this have anything to do with those?"

"They…could be related." Kamek muttered quietly to himself for a moment, working something out in his head. "What Mario had read, before…when he was in the Study, that is. He was looking something up, on divination and dreams." Kamek stared at Mario and focused carefully on him. "He mentioned researching a curse." He gasped.

"What? What is it?"

"Hold on."

Kamek whipped his wand around again, quickly casting a spell about and scanning Mario once again. The Koopalings exchanged looks of confusion, and lowered their wands, just as unsure of his actions as I was. Sparks flew from Kamek's wand, but he kept waving it around. He suddenly jumped and threw his wand to the ground, with red bolts running across the head's jewel. Angrily, Kamek shook his hand and held it up, rubbing it gently.

"Are you all right?"

He mumbled, "I'll be fine."

"What was that?"

Clearing his throat, Kamek turned back to Mario. "He's cursed. And he's been like this for a while now, long before anyone even knew of your relationship."

"Even before we started it ourselves?"

"It's probable, but I can't give you an exact estimate on time." Kamek studied his wand before he picked it up. "All that I was able to detect was that it was aged, well over a month. And it is very clearly not the work of a Magikoopa."

"But they're the only…wait." I shook my head. "You're not suggesting—"

"No, I'm not suggesting. I'm outright stating it."

"What?" Junior piped up. "Who did this?"

"It's the spell of a Shaman." Kamek's face contorted as if he had spat venom from his mouth. "Bowser, where do Mario's dreams take him?"

"Star Hill…son of a—"

"Wait, wait, why is Star Hill important?" Roy questioned.

"Shamans were once more common around the Mushroom Kingdom," explained Kamek. "However, their numbers dwindled heavily over time, to the tiniest bit they're down to today." He shook his head. "They're gathered in a small colony on Star Hill."

"Then we should pay them a visit," murmured Ludwig. "Perhaps terrorize their home a little until they send someone to help us."

"If it were that easy, I'd advise it." Kamek sighed. "But it's not. They hide deep within the mountains and cast numerous protection incantations to keep themselves distanced from travelers."

"We need to do something," protested Wendy.

"And we will." He shuffled back to the door. "You seven, with me. We're going to the Study to learn more about them."

"What about Mario?" Larry asked. "We can't just leave him. I mean…we can, but, uh, Lord Bowser's right here and that really wouldn't be a good idea."

"Actually, we do need to leave him."

"What?!" I snarled and glared at Kamek.

"Sire, please, after what we discussed earlier?" What we…oh geez. My cheeks burned up a bit as I relaxed and nodded. "Mario will wake up from that in a matter of time. However, this curse will not subside, even as his symptoms disappear."

He beckoned the Koopalings to follow him and they slowly poured out from my room. Junior watched them go, and then turned to me.

"Papa, are you going to be ok?"

"As soon as Mario wakes up, or once Kamek finds answers, I'll be just fine, son."

Junior waited a minute, and then hugged me tightly. My arms wrapped around him and I squeezed him back.

"Can I do anything else?"

"This is all I need for now." Slowly, Junior pulled away and gazed up at me. I forced a smile and nudged him. "Go, you went to get your paintbrush. I can stay here alone. We'll be fine."

Though he didn't look convinced, Junior nodded. He walked over to Mario and patted his arm gently. Looking at me once more, the boy walked out from the room.

And I shuddered as a tear slipped down, quietly watching over Mario.

* * *

 

**[Mario]**

My eyes snapped open. Dark blue sky was above me. Quickly, I jumped up and my eyes barely registered the purple ground beneath me. Bowser turned around and smiled.

"Mario, you're—"

"You're alive!" I ran over to Bowser and dove into him. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around me and held me.

"Um…yeah." He chuckled, but I couldn't feel him vibrate. "Why…wouldn't I be?"

"This…wait." I moved away from him and studied his body. No wounds. I shook my head and noticed Luigi, Peach, and Daisy staring at us. "Not again."

"What's wrong?"

"Nightmare." I tugged my hat over my head. "Peach died while we passed the waterfall, and then you died from a cave-in."

"Waterfall?" Peach asked.

"Cave-in?" questioned Bowser.

"It all happened while we were going along that path." I pointed ahead. "There has to be another way we can go." I looked around, but there was only one other trail that led out of the area.

"We can't go back that way," Luigi explained. "We split up from the others for the royals' protection."

"Luigi, there must be some other way we can go!"

"Mario, I don't know where else to go." He shook his head. "You told me that this was the best route for us to take."

"Me?! I just told you Peach and Bowser died going this way!"

"But…that was a dream, or…two," Daisy pointed out. "They're fine now."

Wildly, I shook my head, but Bowser rested his hands on my shoulders. "Mario, we'll be careful. I promise."

My shoulders dropped and I opened my mouth to argue, but the others had already started walking ahead.

"Come on!" Luigi called and waved us on to follow.

Bowser pulled me close to him and we joined the others. Passing the buried stone, I shivered. Not long after, we reached the waterfall.

"Huh. This would have been more romantic if it wasn't destined to be a graveyard," joked Bowser.

"So…what happens here?" inquired Peach.

"The ground breaks away and you fell before anyone could grab you." I shook my head. "If you three go first, while Bowser and I go last, we should be able to make it. But we need to move quickly."

Everyone nodded and approached the waterfall. Luigi and the princesses ran across first, and then Bowser and I raced after them. We turned around and stared at the trail. At first, it remained in tact. After a minute, however, the trail cracked and parts of it broke away.

"That's the best version I've seen." I exhaled deeply.

"Best?" Peach raised an eyebrow. "We did this more than once?"

"Yes, we made it through in the second dream, but barely," I explained. "Come on, the cave's ahead."

Everyone followed me along the path that led us to the cave. I stopped and stared above the cave. No firebird came by this time.

"So, now what happens?" asked Luigi.

"It's not a very long cave, but you shouted at the end of it, which must triggered the cave-in. Bowser gets pummeled from falling stalactites while protecting us, and crushed by boulders just before he can escape."

"Ouch." Bowser chuckled nervously. "But please, Mario, tell me how you really feel."

Sharply, I stared him in the eyes. "If you die again, I'll go berserk."

"Uh…ok then, no heroics for me." Bowser grinned. "Good to know you care, though."

"So, we'll just go through silently," decided Daisy. "Should be easy enough."

"Unless Luigi didn't trigger it," I observed. "If that's the case, it could just happen anyway."

"Well, we can't move too quickly, or we'll all cause enough sound to start it," contested Peach.

"Carefully and quietly it is."

Slowly, everyone crept through the cave. Again, I listened to the dripping echo around us and watched the stalactites. Nothing seemed to budge.

"Easy enough," whispered Bowser.

We were about halfway across when I heard something snap. Spinning back, I watched a stalactite shatter as it hit the ground. The sound vibrated across the cave.

"Oh…that's not good," murmured Luigi.

"Run!"

All five of us ran for the exit as the stalactites began to crash down around us. I grabbed Bowser's hand and surged forward with him. Altogether, we dove out of the cave as the rocks crashed down behind us. Alarmed, I shot up, and threw myself onto Bowser.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

"Let me just check—"

"Mario." Bowser lifted my chin and stared calmly into my panicked eyes. "I'm alive."

My lips quivered and he kissed me softly. Everyone stood up and gazed at the silver shrine in the distance.

"We're almost there."

Luigi led us forward and we made our way to the plateau. Something bright shined from it, but faded as we approached. In front of us stood a shrouded figure that turned away from an empty column.

"What…who are you?" Peach demanded.

No answers were given as the figure stared at us. It looked like a robed person, but I couldn't tell if it was even a living being.

"We don't want any trouble." I raised my arms up and tried to approach in a non-threatening manner.

Suddenly, four more just like it stepped out from a line behind the first figure. They lined up and stared us down. They each readied what I assumed were battle stances.

"Well, that's…terrifying," muttered Daisy.

"Everyone, take one and take them down," I instructed.

Each of us spread out as the figures leapt at us, practically whizzing through the air like spirits. One tackled Luigi to the ground, while Bowser spat fire at another.

Daisy threw a punch directly at one that went after her, but it went straight through the shroud.

Peach ran off, looking for a way to stop her opponent from chasing her, while I jumped away from mine. I tried to throw a kick, but it simply dissipated into the air when I attacked.

Before I could assess anything else, a sharp pain rose up through my back. Slowly, I turned back and looked behind me. The figure had appeared right there, somehow. It backed away as I dropped to the ground.

**"NO!"** Bowser roared and rushed over to me. Luigi tried to make his way over, but was kept away, along with Peach and Daisy. Past them, past the shrine, I saw the flaming bird flutter in the distance, as if it were too late to reach us.

The Koopa King crashed down beside me and breathed fire through the air around us, in a futile attempt to retaliate. My vision faded as Bowser looked down at me.

"Mario, hold on!" Bowser pleaded. "Stay with me! Don't go!"

My mouth opened, but no words came out. Everything began to go dark as I concentrated on Bowser's shining, splendid red eyes.

"Mario!" Tears welled up in his eyes as mine shut. "Please…!"

Though I wanted to answer him, everything around me fell silent instead.

* * *

 

Gasping, I shot up. Bowser jolted back from me, but leaned forward right after.

"Mario? Mario, you're awake!" He wrapped me into a tight hug, his warm body soothing me. I blinked and looked down. Red sheets. His bed. As Bowser pulled back from me, I quickly took in the sight of his bedroom.

"Real." I smiled weakly. "It's all real again."

"What is?" Bowser tilted his head in confusion. "Are you all right?"

I shook my head and forced my lips against his. It wasn't exactly a kiss, but I needed to feel his breath pour into my mouth and his rough lips against mine. Bowser had moved his hand against my cheek, but I had pulled away just as he touched me.

"Not that I'll ever complain to that," Bowser chuckled, "but…what happened?"

My mouth opened and moved to answer him, but nothing came out. Instead, I just shook my head and tightly gripped the sheets.

"It's ok," soothed Bowser. "You're here, I'm here. You're safe."

Still, I shook my head and shivered as I held my arms against my body. Bowser wrapped his arms back around me and quietly rocked me in them, rubbing my back and softly hushing me.

If only he could fix everything, just like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold and caps lock indicate extremely loud screams of anguish, in case you were wondering. What's that? The chapter ended? Whoops.
> 
> But hooray, answers! Mario's cursed! Who saw that coming?! …All of you, huh? Yeah, well…bet you forgot about the Shamans! (…Shut up, I can surprise people. Whatever.) Anyway, yes, his nightmares were repetitious, purposely so, as he tried to fix his friends' fates. Too bad he died in the end himself, oh, whoops again. If you're lost, yes, people died in Mario's dreams and not in real time. So, yes, everyone is still alive, which is why I was all, "they sort of die, it'll make sense!" Hopefully it actually did, unless I really suck at this.
> 
> Meanwhile, yes, the Koopalings all still do magic! I think Ludwig's the only one who consistently used his wand so far, but I wanted to make sure that they all still did use their magics. Yes. And Kamek is a master practitioner, surprise. (Bet you didn't see that coming! …You did? It was already stated and known? Yeah, well…whatever.)
> 
> At any rate, Shamans! Yes, those are things from Mario! They're spell caster folks from Super Mario RPG and because of issues that Nintendo had with Square, they never really appeared again. Except they did! Via Paper Mario! Remember that dude Merlon? Yeah, he's possibly one of them! That, or…just some old Toad that's tripping on future sight, in which case, everything I'm about to get into is completely non-canon. Whoops, already went there! (See: Chapter 1.) But yes, I do enjoy digging around and pulling out obscure species to utilize in this story. Just…not too obscure. Shamans aren't that…ok, they are, but…shut up.
> 
> With that, Bowser and Mario get to be traumatized for a little while, and the next chapter will go back to Peach and friends. Oh hey, Peach was traumatized too, when we last left her! Wow, so many main characters are emotionally damaged! Isn't this story just the most uplifting thing?! (See: Title.) But yes, more from Peach, Luigi, and their crowd next chapter.
> 
> Before I conclude, I want to leave an extra shout out to my Favorites and Followers on this story! I checked recently, and it is now possible to find this story on the first page when filtering by most Followers, which means that this is one of the 25 most followed stories on the Mario archive! I know that can change at any time, but while I have it as of writing, I just wanted to thank you all again, very much, for following this story! It's really exciting to see it on the first page through filters, so that way I can pretend it will never be forgotten.
> 
> All right, I'm talking to much again, so let's cut it off here. Any questions or comments, just send them my way via message or review, I love those too. And thank you all, once again, for reading this story! Yes, guests included, don't forget yourselves! You don't need to be a member to enjoy this story, I hope. But yes, thank you again! My new name should really be EternallyGrateful with all of the thank you messages I spam, but I can't stop, so…sorry, not sorry.


	26. A Compromise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Returning from the Glaciers, Peach needs to cope with her actions and decisions. Meanwhile, a newcomer struts in with knowledge of a certain relationship that has Bowser's Castle buzzing…and makes Luigi nervous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was more surprising to write up than I originally imagined it to be. Hopefully, I dealt with the issues that come up within it correctly. If not, I apologize in advance; you'll understand as you read it.
> 
> Now then, we're joining Luigi, Peach, and the rest of the Mushroom gang for this chapter. Enjoy!

**[Luigi]**

Our journey back to Peach's Castle was somehow more silent than the journey back from the island. Though, the rain had made up for our somber mood last time. This time, however, the sun shimmered bright in the sky, oblivious to our latest struggles.

Though she still led the way home, Peach seemed different this time. Her shoulders were lowered, and her pace was slower. Instead of firmly holding her Royal Scepter up, she led it dangle in her lowered grip. Peach's head was normally held high to match her poise, but now it was tilted down, watching where her feet fell.

The rest of us were affected as well. Yoshi would walk with a skip in his step, but now had his feet firmly shuffling across the ground. Daisy seemed more concerned with her clothes than she truly ever was. Even Toadette moved slower and tugged on her braids rather than letting them flow in the wind.

Quietly, I fixed my cap and watched the castle come back into view. My mouth kept opening on instinct, looking to diffuse the tension. Considering that I had caused a bulk of it, however, nothing came out and I would shut it each time.

Several Toads cheered and clapped as we marched back onto the castle grounds. While Peach and I remained stoic, the others waved and smiled, a little less exposed to the encouragingly warm reception and delighted audience.

Peach guided us to her throne room, where Toadsworth awaited us.

"Princesses! Masters Luigi and Yoshi! Welcome back." He nodded to Toadette, who waved slightly. "Glad to see you're all back in one piece. I trust things went well at the Glaciers?" No answered right away. "Or…perhaps not?"

"We took care of it." Peach's voice was hollow, still stuck on her actions.

"Are…you certain?"

"Yes, Toadsworth. We wouldn't be back otherwise."

"Ah, right then." He gazed at the rest of us, twirling and pulling his mustache. Tapping his cane, Toadsworth nodded. "Would you like me to get the five Toads that accompanied you prior? They're feeling much better now."

"Please do."

Silently, Toadsworth bowed and walked off to gather the quintet. Toadette walked to Peach's free hand and grasped it. Daisy folded her arms and glanced out a window. Yoshi came over and rested his head on my shoulder, and I gently petted his nose.

"Is this it?" Daisy abruptly blurted out. "Are we going to let this do us in for the rest of our time saving the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"It's not exactly something we can shrug off," I murmured.

"Fine, I get that, but we can't let this leave us moody the whole time." Daisy strode back over. "This is war, there's a 1-Up shortage, and it will have unfavorable outcomes. We need to get that into our heads and keep on rolling."

Each of us turned to look at her, save Peach, who stared absently at her throne, head still tilted down. Yoshi grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly, smiling at me. Toadette still held Peach's, but nodded to Daisy.

"Ok, then starting now, we leave the sad attitude behind. We're moving forward, got it?" Daisy placed her hands on her hips as we nodded. She then turned to Peach, who hadn't moved. "That includes you too, Peach."

"I'll get over it."

"You need to get over it now."

"But I was the one—"

"Peach." The blonde princess turned to face her ginger counterpart. "You did it to save us. War is filled with hard choices like that. Acknowledge it, learn from it, accept it, and move on."

They stared into one another's eyes before Peach slowly nodded to Daisy. She smiled at Peach and relaxed her shoulders.

"Good. So, where are we headed next?"

"The Forests, I believe."

My heart dropped as my eyes widened. "W-Where?"

"Forests," Peach repeated. Everyone watched as I began to quake in fear. "Oh, come now, Luigi. After everything we've been through so far?"

"H-Hey! W-We all h-ha-have our f-f-fears!" I continued to shiver as Yoshi hugged me, only to start shaking himself. He let go and tried to rub my back instead.

"Mm…I suppose that's true." Peach relented and sighed.

"Wait, since when are you afraid of forests, Luigi?" Daisy questioned.

"It's n-not the f-f-forests, b-but what's in them," I explained through my stammers.

"Luigi isn't overly fond of ghosts, and they tend to thrive in the forests," Peach clarified. She turned to me and smiled. "We'll be fine, Luigi. You won't be alone this time and we won't have to deal with that many ghosts."

"That's w-what Ma-Mario tells me, a-and then w-we deal w-with all k-k-kinds of s-spooky ha-happenings," I trembled.

"And you've gotten through all of them," Peach soothed. "We'll be fine."

"She's right!" Yoshi nudged me, still trying to calm me down. "We'll be with you, Luigi!"

Recalling that he wasn't fond of ghosts either, I slowly nodded and gained control over my shaking.

"O-Ok." I sighed. "But the Forests are still the creepiest in the Mushroom Kingdom."

"I won't argue that," Peach giggled. "It's not somewhere I like to travel either."

We turned as Toadsworth walked back in with the five Toads, each cheering and running over to greet us.

"Princess Peach!"

"We're so glad you're safe!"

"And the others are ok too!"

"Toadette was with you guys?"

"Did you help with the Glaciers?"

"Hey, cool it!" Toadette ordered.

"Everyone's fine," Peach laughed. "Toadette did great work with us. And the Glaciers are no longer under Bowser's control."

Again, the quintet cheered and clapped for us.

"Boys, come on, settle down!" Toadsworth stamped his cane to the floor and the five fell silent. "Better."

"So, what's going on next?" asked the Red Toad.

"Once we're ready, we're taking off to the Forests," explained Peach.

Exchanging nervous glances with one another, the five Toads turned back and nodded.

"Just how creepy is this place?" Daisy asked. "Luigi's worried, they're worried, and now I'm getting anxious about it."

"The Forests? Certainly not somewhere I'd travel to willingly," mused Toadsworth. "Please take an extra amount of caution going there." He paused and picked at his mustache again. "Then again, considering the Princess is armed with that," he pointed at her scepter, "I suppose you'll do just fine."

"Actually…" Peach lifted her Royal Scepter and stared at it. Then, she held it out for Toadsworth to take. "I'm going to leave it here, this time around."

Some of the Toads gasped, while Daisy and I exchanged bewildered looks with Yoshi and Toadette. We turned back to see that Peach hadn't moved, still holding the wand out to her steward.

"Leave it?" Toadsworth shook his head. "Princess, of all the times to suddenly rethink your strategies, when you're going to—"

"I know where we're going and I know that magic could be helpful there. Daisy also has her rings with her, so we can fall back on those." Peach exhaled heavily. "But I need to give it a break. The Glaciers were…taxing."

Toadsworth eyed Peach with a mix of suspicion and worry, but nodded. He took the Royal Scepter into his free hand and Peach hesitated briefly before letting it go. She folded her hands together and let them sit in front of her.

"And now I'm filled with a dreadful amount of worry once again." Toadsworth sighed as he observed the rod.

"Don't be, please." Peach looked back to the rest of us. "I've got a lot of support by my side now, and we'll be fine as we go."

"Ah, yes, that reminds me: there was a visitor, waiting for you in the gardens, Princess."

"Visitor?"

"It's…um…Ma…Mi…" Toadsworth scratched his head and sighed. "It's Birdo. I instructed a few Toads to serve…'her,' until you returned."

"What was all of that stumbling for, Toadsworth?"

"Well, Princess, uh…Birdo's an elusive character. How should I refer to such?"

"Toadsworth, it's simple: you call her Miss Birdo, like you would anyone else. And in spite of her questionable past, we will treat her fairly until proven otherwise."

"But—"

"That's the end of it, Toadsworth."

He nodded and we followed Peach outside. Considering Birdo's spotty background, I'm impressed that Peach would be so lenient about the pink dinosaur with her red head ribbon. Then again, I'm not quite sure that anyone knows how to deal with her.

In the back of Peach's Castle, various flowers and bushes were decorated about the courtyard. Near the fountain in the middle, Birdo sat at a small table while several Toads bustled back and forth to her, bringing various dishes of food for her to inhale while she sharpened her nails.

"C-Can we get you anything else, Birdo?" asked one of the Toads.

"No, I suppose I'm satisfied for now." She studied her nails and rubbed them for a moment before handing the file to another Toad. "Thank you."

"O-Of course, M…Miss Birdo."

"Oh, you Toads are just the cutest things!" Birdo giggled.

"Birdo!" Peach cried out, fed up. "What are you doing here?"

Jumping up from her seat, Birdo fixed her bow and happily bounced over to our group.

"Nice to see you too, Princess." She winked at Peach and blew a kiss from her funnel shaped mouth for the fleeing Toad servants.

"That didn't answer my question."

"Relax, darling. I'm just here for a quick visit, checking in on…" She eyed each of us, halting her gaze on Yoshi and I. "…Things."

"Why the sudden interest?" inquired Daisy.

"Daisy dear!" Birdo clasped her hands together. "I'm always interested in the Mushroom Kingdom's affairs. Why, we have such nice venues for shopping here."

"Shopping?" Peach shook her head. "There's no chance that you're suddenly interested in what we're doing simply to save shops."

"You usually talk about how they can be rebuilt easily," added Toadette.

"Ooh! Hush, Toadette!" Birdo nervously giggled. "Come on, we usually go to those places together, don't we?"

"Birdo, you're evading, again," snapped Peach.

"Fine, it's not for the venues." Birdo stretched and rolled her shoulders. "To be honest, I've heard some lovely bits of news from…how do you call them? 'Impudent scoundrels?' Yes, quite the buzz from Bowser's little patch of the kingdom, hmm?"

"Buzz?"

"Oh, didn't you hear the news from over there?" She fixed the ring on her finger, undaunted that we hadn't heard anything.

"What news?"

"Delicious bits that even you'd kill to hear, Princess!"

Birdo laughed, not noticing that she had inadvertently struck a nerve.

"What news?" Peach's hands tightened into fists. "Birdo, just what do you know?"

"Dear oh dear," Birdo giggled. "You truly haven't heard."

"Heard what?" Everyone else could tell Peach's patience was gone. Though…I suspected Birdo was also aware of this. "Out with it, Birdo!"

Birdo wagged her finger. "Fair warning: I'm just a messenger, so don't hate me for it."

"Just tell us!"

"All right." She shrugged and sighed. "Word from Bowser's Castle is that the Koopa King himself is in love with Mario."

My eyes burst wide open as if the words hung out in the air before us. Quickly, I looked to the others, checking their reactions. Yoshi's seemed to match mine: eyes open wide as he turned to stare at me. Toadette clasped her hands over her mouth. Daisy's arms seemed to hang a bit looser and she shot Toadette a perplexed expression. Toadsworth and the five Toads exchanged varying faces of shock and bewilderment.

Peach, however, took a moment to collect herself and folded her arms. "That's it?"

Confused, Birdo tilted her head and studied Peach. "I should be asking you that! With that bombshell of a reveal, I'd certainly expect a stronger reaction, especially from you, Princess Peach!"

"Please." Peach shook her head as the others began to relax. "It's a lie, or just slanders that someone cleverly threw out against Bowser."

"They're not!" Birdo protested. "These are actual reports that have been running rampart from Bowser's Castle! And they've claimed that Mario reciprocates!"

"That's absurd. Mario would never date an enemy to the Mushroom Kingdom, let alone the greatest enemy to us all. That would be treason to everything he stands for."

I bit my lip as a shiver traveled down my back. If there was a chance for me to tell them the truth, that Birdo's information was correct, it was long gone now.

"Treason? Please! It's such a romantic drama that's ensuing and you'd—"

"You have been filled with nothing but nonsense in your head," Peach huffed. "Unless you have anything truly useful to offer us, I suggest that you take your leave, before I have you escorted out."

Taken aback, Birdo glanced at Yoshi and I, and then to Daisy and Toadette. "One of you must believe me!"

Yoshi and I glanced at one another, silent. He seemed to study me, perhaps realizing that I knew the correct answer.

"Sorry, Birdo, but I'm going to have to side with Peach on this one," murmured Toadette. "It's a funny story, but that's about as far as it gets, I think."

"Well, I'd like to believe you, Birdo, but they're right," Daisy agreed. "Mario's not the type to suddenly fall for Bowser, nor fall for him at all. And I don't think Bowser's even remotely interested in Mario unless he's killing him or using him as leverage against us."

Desperate, Birdo looked to the five Toads, who all nodded in accord with Daisy and Toadette's statements. Toadsworth picked at his mustache, unsure of what to add in.

"But…you must…" Birdo's head dropped and she slowly shook it. "Fine, if that's how it is." Her picked herself back up, annoyed. "You're confident now, but just wait. The truth will come out in time, and you'd best prepare for it."

With a huff, Birdo roughly knocked past Yoshi and I, storming from the courtyard. I rubbed my arm and watched her head back through the castle, with Toadsworth and the other Toads chasing after her.

"Honestly, how can either of you stand spending time with her?" Peach questioned. "Birdo can be nice sometimes, but when she's like this, she's an absolute—"

"Powerhouse."

The girls turned to look at one another, and then to me.

"Luigi, what—?"

"Birdo's strong, right?" I glanced at Yoshi, who nodded. "And here she was, just deciding to stop by and get involved within everything."

"Um, I don't think she was, really," contested Toadette.

"Ok, probably not." I shrugged. "But think about it. We could use her on our side."

"Like that? Not a chance." Peach shook her head. "She's all hung up over lies."

"No, she's…that's not the point." Taking in a deep breath and releasing it, I tried again. "Look, Birdo's a solid option to turn to. If we get her to cooperate with us, she could be a strong asset."

The others studied me carefully, and then stared at one another, conviction wavering.

"Really, what's the harm in letting her join? We have to double check our supplies or watch each other's backs a little extra? We're already doing that enough as it is. If she somehow gets persuaded to join Bowser, we'll have to deal with her as an adversary, and Birdo's not exactly as easy to defeat as she used to be."

"Asset or adversary…" Peach isolated. "Good point, Luigi. See if you can stop her and bring her on board. Meanwhile, Toadette, I want you to gather the five Toads and take them with you."

"Am I going somewhere?" Toadette asked. "I mean, I suppose I'm going somewhere either way, possibly always going somewhere, but in regards to specific…not important, you know what I mean."

"I'd like you six to travel to Bowser's Castle."

Toadette's mouth dropped open. "W…Where?"

"Bowser's. On his own, Red Toad rescued—"

"He has a name," interrupted Toadette.

"Oh. Right. Well, either way, he single-handedly managed to rescue Mario. If all six of you work together, you may be able to help Mario escape once again."

"But Princess, we've tried rescue operations countless times with you, and Bowser's forces are almost always prepared." Toadette trembled. "What if we fail?"

"You won't fail." Peach smiled encouragingly. "I believe that the six of you can prevail together."

Though less confidently, Toadette smiled and nodded.

"Good. Now, Luigi, you hurry up with Birdo, while the rest of us prepare for the Forests."

"Actually," Yoshi piped in, "I think it would be better if I went with Luigi."

"That's not necessary," I intervened. "I think I can handle talking—"

"To Birdo? You?" Yoshi chuckled. "Are you forgetting who she actually likes to deal with?"

"So maybe I should get her?" Daisy offered.

"No, I need to go over a few things with you." She shot a quizzical look at Peach. "Good things, I think. You'll want to process these with me."

"If you insist."

"And I do." She beamed and returned her attention to Yoshi and I. "Luigi, he's right. Birdo is so much happier around Yoshi, and she pairs up with him whenever she can. If you want to persuade her to our side, he's your best option to convince her."

Yoshi grinned brightly while I bitterly nodded. I needed to talk with Birdo alone.

"Very good. All right everyone, let's get to it."

Toadette, Yoshi, and I nodded, racing back inside. We hurried through the corridors and to the front door, just in time to watch Birdo storm out as the six Toads shook their heads. Toadette stayed behind to talk with them while Yoshi and I rushed after Birdo, straight down Toadstool Road.

"Ok, now that she's gone," Yoshi sounded, "what aren't you telling us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Look, while Peach might have convinced everyone otherwise, you didn't even bother defending Mario or shutting down that rumor." I nearly tripped as we neared Birdo. "What's the truth?"

Instead of answering him, I tugged him after the pink dinosaur, still outraged from her unfavorable dismissal. Noticing that we were fairly isolated, I exhaled a bit and managed to catch up with Birdo. She glared at us and tried to keep walking ahead, but I threw Yoshi and myself into her way.

"Move," Birdo demanded.

"Wait, you're right."

"Of course I'm right, you're in my way." She folded her arms. "Now move."

"No, that's…what you heard was right. The bit on Bowser."

Birdo relaxed a bit, letting her glare fade. I glanced at Yoshi, whose mouth had dropped open. With a sigh, I turned back to Birdo.

"Please, if you don't mind, we can't talk about this openly."

"Why not?" Birdo snapped. "There's no shame in hiding their relationship!"

"They're enemies!" I hissed. "Or…supposed to be."

"That still should…oh, whatever." Birdo dropped her arms and rolled her eyes. "Fine, let's…go over there."

She pointed to a few trees that were distanced from the road, not far from the pond, and the three of us walked over to them as a few Toads passed back and forth along the way, paying no mind to us as we disappeared behind the trunks.

Leaning against a tree, Birdo crossed her legs and folded her arms behind her head. I sat down on the ground, while Yoshi plopped down beside me, a little rougher than even he expected.

"Take it easy, Yoshi," giggled Birdo. "It's been a while, hasn't it, cutie?"

"Um, yeah. A little while." Yoshi scratched his cheek, which looked a bit pink to me. "Besides this stuff, uh…how…have you been?"

"Same old each day. A bunch of folks ridicule me over the way I look, a bunch more question my gender, and I brush them all off while trying to live a life I like." She sighed from her more solemn attitude, and tossed her head back. "They're annoying, but I don't let them keep me down. There are better things to bother me than those that outright hate me."

"Sorry to hear."

"We all have our struggles." Birdo shrugged, and then turned to me, her tone back up to normal. "So, Luigi, right? Mind confirming that bit again for me?"

"Actually, could you better explain it?" Yoshi asked. "I'm…really confused."

"Well, Birdo heard right. Bowser is in love with Mario. And…Mario loves him back." I hugged my legs closer to myself as the two dinosaurs stared at me, obviously waiting for more. "I'm…not exactly sure when or how it started, but I found a letter that my brother had written. Remember the Deserts, Yoshi? When you wanted to know what was wrong with me? That's when I first found out."

"I _knew_ you weren't telling me something!" He practically sang over it. "And I knew that you'd tell me later, too!"

"Wait, you've known about this for how long?" Birdo questioned.

"Definitely before the word got out around Bowser's Castle." I paused to think back, fairly certain that I was correct in that assumption. "By the way Mario made it out, when he was with us before, hardly anyone knew when he told me, as Bowser didn't even want to tell his son."

"That must have changed," murmured Birdo.

"It did. By the time we ran into Bowser and before he took Mario again, Junior already knew about their relationship and lectured me over it." I recalled Junior's conviction and how he tore me apart over my differing stance. "And now, his whole castle is in on it, so it'll only be a matter of time before Peach really understands it."

"So…his whole castle knew before any of us did?" Yoshi questioned. "And yet, you knew." He frowned at me. "Luigi, why didn't you tell us?"

"Did…you not see how Peach reacted? Because she's the leader of the Mushroom Kingdom, and the way she acted reflects on and from the rest of her people."

Yoshi grabbed his feet, and he moved them back and forth with his hands. "I guess, they might be critical of that, but…Luigi, you could have told me."

"Maybe, but I really didn't want to risk it." My eyes shot back over to Birdo. "And that's what I need to ask you. I know that you'd defend their relationship and that you're keen on sharing them, but please, I'm _begging_ you, don't tell anyone else about Bowser's real relationship with my brother."

"Honestly, I still don't understand the fuss." I opened my mouth, but Birdo held up her hand. "Your protests, I get. Anyone else who wants to cause a ruckus over this? Nope. Anyone can feel love's embrace; it's not exclusive to one gender or one type of couple."

"It's good that you think so, but I'm pretty sure a lot of other people would think otherwise," I countered, and shivered after. "Or d-don't you have issues?"

"Fair point." Birdo tugged gently at her bow, perhaps tightening it. "So, I keep quiet about them, regardless of who believes me. And…what's in it for me?"

"What? Why does anything need to be—?"

"Oh, come on, Luigi. After what Peach made me deal with?"

"Yes, that was terrible, I agree," I relented. "But…I don't have anything to give you."

"Right, so what's stopping me from—?"

"How about a date?" I blurted as my legs shot out.

"Uh…you're not that bad, Luigi, but I hardly know you all that well." Judging by her tone, I wasn't sure that was the only reason for apprehension.

"Not with me," I clarified. "Yoshi here. He'll go on a date with you, provided you keep that a secret."

"I'm doing what now?" Yoshi questioned.

"A forced date isn't any fun," groaned Birdo. "I've had bad experiences with those in the past." She paused before adding, "Besides, I can get Yoshi to date me when he's good and ready."

"You can do what to me?" Yoshi sputtered out.

"Hush, Yoshi," I muttered to him before looking back to Birdo. "Please…I already have no idea how I'm going to explain to Peach why I'm coming back empty-handed."

"Why would you be?" Birdo inquired.

"Um…I might have…told them I was…getting you to join us?"

"Deal."

"Wait, what?"

"There's always a big buzz about Mario and whoever else helps him save the day, right?" Birdo watched as I nodded. "Well then, I'd imagine that the Mushroom Kingdom would celebrate and adore anyone who restores their kingdom to peace. On top of that, bringing back Mario would get people even more delighted. And if we actually manage to eventually convince people that the relationship is good and it works out somehow, then we'll become some of the greatest heroes to not only the Mushroom Kingdom, but to history too!"

"Ah…Birdo, I don't think that's quite how it works—"

"It will most certainly work out when we're done with everything!" Birdo bounced away from the tree and tightened her fists. "Yes, this is a perfect opportunity! If I manage to help restore balance to the Mushroom Kingdom and aid the Koopa King with his relationship, I'll become a hero and a star to everyone around! This could literally be the big break I've been waiting for!"

"Break? What do you need that for?" asked Yoshi.

"It all relates back to what troubles me. Think about it: if I become one of the heroes and get recognized by everyone, people will finally have to acknowledge me for those actions! And if they're looking at that, my gender and my looks are some things they won't get hung up over so easily." She jumped up and kicked her feet about. "Oh, this could really do it! People will finally notice me for…well, me!"

"…So…"

"All right, Luigi!" Birdo zipped over, pulled me up, and roughly shook my hand. "You've got yourself a deal! No more premature reveals on Bowser and Mario, and I'll help your friends with the rest of your journey and whatever else! In exchange, I get to share the glory and credit for helping out! And not just a quick side mention, but an actual and important, noteworthy role that is quintessential, vital to what you guys do…or will have done!"

Releasing me just as roughly, I flew back as Yoshi ran over to catch me, managing to hold me up. We exchanged confused faces, and then stared as Birdo fixed her bow again.

"Sorry. Sometimes I don't know my own strengths."

"That's fine." I smiled. "We could even use that."

"Perfect! Now let's get back to the castle, grab those stuffy princesses, and be on our way!"

Proudly, Birdo marched ahead of us back to the castle. Yoshi walked close to me and leaned against me as we followed her.

"So," he whispered. "She's got a reason to keep that a secret, but what about me?"

"Do you really need one?" I mumbled.

"It'd be nice," Yoshi chuckled, his breath hitting my ear.

"Fine. How about…I get you all the fruit you can eat for a week?"

"Two weeks, and you have to bring it to me." Yoshi grinned and I tugged my cap over my head.

"Ok, deal."

"Thank you!" Yoshi wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly as we reached Peach's Castle.

"Can't…breathe…" I managed to get out, and Yoshi quickly released me.

"Hey, quit making out back there," Birdo teased as we walked back into the pink and golden corridors.

We returned to the throne room, where the Toads and the princesses were gathered once again. Everyone turned and showed slight signs of surprise to see Birdo back.

"There, see?" Peach spun about to Toadsworth. "Birdo will accompany us to the Forests, bringing us back up to five. Meanwhile, Toadette and the Toads will infiltrate Bowser's Castle to see if lightning strikes twice and they can rescue Mario once again."

Toadsworth pinched his mustache and tapped his cane. "I still don't like it," he murmured. "But I'm not going to stop you, am I?"

"Nope."

"You also realize that I can't hold the others off forever, right?"

"They should understand that I'm the princess, and that I can make decisions myself, especially if it's concerning my own actions." Peach placed her hands on her hips, satisfied with her decisions.

"Very well." He turned to Daisy, and then to the dinosaurs and I. "I'm counting on the rest of you to keep Princess Peach safe, as always."

"She'll be fine with us around," assured Daisy.

"Let's hope so." Toadsworth then pivoted to the six Toads. "As for you lot, be very careful at Bowser's Castle. Take care looking after each other, and if it's too much, get yourselves out of there."

"Don't worry, Toadsworth, we can handle this!" Toadette declared, and the five Toads cheered.

"Good. Very good." Toadsworth nodded and shuffled over to a window. "Good luck."

Everyone nodded and we departed from the throne room. The two groups made their way outside to the castle grounds and we faced one another.

"Will you need anything before you go?" Peach asked the Toads.

"To give you this," Toadette turned over the Item Bag to me. "Other than that, I think we're all set here."

"Shouldn't you take an item with you?" I offered.

"If we do that, you'll have one less." Toadette shook her head. "The six of us can take care of things."

"Wait, that's not smart," Daisy contended. "And…I've got an idea."

Taking the Item Bag and digging out the Fire Flower, Daisy held it between her hands. A soft turquoise glow encased the flower. Slowly, she pulled with both hands, as the flower was split…into two items. When the light faded, she handed one Fire Flower to the Toads, and placed the other back into our Item Bag.

"There you go, now you've got that for back-up." Daisy smiled as the Toads cheered over their additional Fire Flower. "I'd do that again with the other items, but that only works once a week, and we don't have that kind of time."

"This will be plenty for us." Toadette lifted her head and smiled. "Thank you, Daisy!"

"You're welcome!"

Toadette slipped the Fire Flower into her vest and walked off from Toadstool Road with the other five chattering Toads. We took a different direction, waving to them as they disappeared from sight.

"It'll take them some time to get to Bowser's Castle this time, without the Warp Zones," assessed Peach. "And they'll need to plan a better escape route as well."

"They'll be fine, Peach," soothed Daisy and she rested her hand on her friend's shoulder. "We should worry about the horrors that we're about to deal with."

"O-Oh d-d-dear…" I stuttered and shivered.

"Hey, you didn't mention anything about terrors," Birdo grumbled.

"Well, brace yourself for the foreboding Forests that await us," laughed Peach.

Birdo rolled her eyes as our group continued onward to the Forests, set to free another fortress from Bowser's control.

Though, now I wondered: would we be one step closer to helping Mario? Or would this only make matters worse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now there are more plots in motion as the "heroes" continue their quests!
> 
> Well, let's start this one with everyone's favorite controversial character: Birdo! He's a boy! She's a girl! It's an…um, it! Honestly, by this point, I don't think even Nintendo knows what to do with Birdo. (And they thought Sheik was the tricky case. Ha!) While her canon gender differs between Japan and the international versions in the actual Mario games, I've decided to run with her as a transgender character for this story. However, as the universal agreement is that Birdo does have a feminine manner about her and/or believes/wants to be a female, I decided that the characters will acknowledge her as such. So, if you're offended that Birdo isn't a cross-dressing male, well, that's not how she chooses to identify, so, sorry. And if I portrayed her completely inaccurately based solely on gender, my apologies. Either way, I took a long shot for representation, so…I tried.
> 
> Anyway, let's move on to her personality. In a variety of games, Birdo goes back and forth in a role as either a villain or a hero. Adapting that, I made her into a more morally ambiguous character that could play with either side to her advantage, such as scouting information from Bowser's troops and trying to gain benefits from Peach's. Some players also hate Birdo's design, not even considering the character's gender and claiming that she's just ugly. Aiming for a more sympathetic approach, I decided to translate that negative opinion of Birdo into the story and have her recognize that not only do people judge her actions, they also judge her appearance. Keeping up with her known personality, she also comes across as flirty, somewhat strong (evidenced by certain spin-offs such as Mario Kart and Baseball), femininity, and her desire to become famous, with the last one fueling her desire for acceptance.
> 
> Her relationships with characters tend to vary, as they can sometimes love her (Fortune Street) or…well, not (Super Mario Bros. 2). However, certain spin-offs indicate that she's on friendly terms with Daisy, can be friends with Toadette, may have something of a rivalry with Princess Peach, and has a strong, positive relationship with Yoshi, sometimes considered romantic, or otherwise super friendly. Again, I tried to bring that over, with Peach being wary of Birdo, but also willing to have her around, and Birdo likewise getting annoyed with Peach, but also being able to tolerate her. And with that, I'm done talking about Birdo, who I've discussed way more than a secondary/tertiary character should be talked about.
> 
> Other stuff! Toadette and the Toads are now joined together and are totally prepared to take Bowser's Castle by storm! …Right? I mean, just one Toad did it before…even though he had a lot more available to him…but they've got this! …Right? Meanwhile, Luigi's gang is off to the Forbidden For…wait. No, just the Forests. While I specified ghosts within the chapter, there are other species that live there too. However, Luigi has an extra special focus toward ghosts, and by that, I mean probable phobia. Oh, and Peach is no longer using that Royal Scepter! Crazy, right? We'll see how long that one lasts. Daisy, meanwhile, still does have her magic with her. And Toadsworth is a big panicking mess, as always.
> 
> Quick bounce back to the relationship business: yes, Birdo revealed it. Surprise! And while Luigi could have confirmed it, Peach's reaction caused him to backpedal on that decision. Except for…Yoshi! The helpful dinosaur has been hanging around the green plumber for so long that he should be the first one to get full confirmation on the relationship. (And he was the most likely to believe Birdo without knowing, but I digress.) Meanwhile, everyone now has knowledge of the relationship, but what will it take to get the truth out? And more importantly, how will they react once they understand? Yoshi was the easiest to deal with. The others? Well…you'll see.
> 
> So, wow, I haven't blabbered this much in ages! …Blame it on Birdo, of course. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) But, cheer up, next chapter bounces back over to Mario and Bowser again! If there's anything else you'd like to know, feel free to send me some questions or comments. Reviews and messages are the best way to do that, and I do love them, because that shows you care, and helps the story. And…that'll do it for now. Thank you for reading!
> 
> Oh, almost forgot: new poll on my profile and Tumblr for this story! Vote if you're interested! Thank you!


	27. An Oath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamek delivers a revelation to Mario about his current condition, which prompts Bowser to make a new decision. But first, a Koopaling gives the couple grief, for reasons that Mario needs to pry from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now for a chapter that's a little slower as we learn more with Mario and Bowser. That includes the curse…and a few other bits here and there. If you like fluff, you'll like this. Enjoy! (Oh, and the poll is still running; it's a closer match than I thought it would be! And I didn't even list any pairings yet.)

**[Mario]**

Hours zipped by while Bowser and I waited for Kamek's return. Most of the time, Bowser tried to keep my mind off of what I had gone through. He told me jokes, flirted, and stories about his castle, none of which seemed to really stick with me. Eventually, he gave in and we sat quietly in his bed, with him massaging me periodically.

"You don't have to do this," I murmured, as my body melted into his arms.

"Are you joking? I love feeling these!" Bowser squeezed the muscles in my arm and pressed against my chest. "And this too!" He slipped a hand over my belly and rubbed around it a bit. "Oh, but then there's—"

"Actually, I meant staying with me." That got his arms to stop, and I bit my lip.

"Why wouldn't I?" He let his head drop on top of mine.

"Pick any reason. Helping the others research, run the kingdom, check on your son—"

"Junior's fine," Bowser asserted. "The kingdom doesn't crumble because I'm not making a decision every second of the day. And there are eight of them sorting through the Study downstairs, which should be plenty."

"But you're working yourself up over me." I sighed and leaned back into him as he wrapped his arms around me. Firm grip. Gentle. Safe.

"Hardly." Bowser chuckled and I relaxed into the soft vibrations. "Staying around you helps me calm down. If I were doing anything else, I'd probably be a panicking mess."

"Right now, I'm all right." I looked up as he hung his head over me, giving the most skeptical expression he could pull off. "Well, I'm awake and feel fine."

"So, that's it?" Mama mia, here he goes again. "I should just calm down and leave you in peace? Forget that you literally hallucinated, fainted, and had your recurring nightmares? Get over my concerns, bury my emotions, and—"

"Ok, ok!" I wrapped my arms around his head. "Sorry I tried to relieve your burdens."

"This isn't a burden." He kissed the top of my head.

"That's a lie; I've ruined your life countless times." I sighed, guilt bubbling inside of me. "Including recently. And now I'm only adding to your stresses."

"Oh no," Bowser deadpanned, "my boyfriend is dredging up the past and thinks he does nothing to alleviate my problems by dating me."

Annoyed, I smacked his head. "I can't be that helpful to you. I cause problems."

"So do I." He cuddled me and nuzzled his head against my hair. "And you have no idea how much this helps me."

"My hair?"

"No, you moron, you." He shook his head. "Being with you, not holding everything in. Us." He sighed. "Even when you're giving me a heart attack, I still feel better now than I ever was without you."

His tail brushed against my leg, and then my thigh. He kept one arm around my waist, and used the other to gently scratch at my shoulders.

"When are you going to understand that?"

Rolling around, I turned to look at him. My mouth parted open a bit, but I couldn't think of anything to tell him, no ways to contest his point.

Not waiting for me to think of something, Bowser leaned in and gently pressed his lips to mine. Shutting my eyes, I kissed him back, letting his warm breath sidetrack me from my thoughts.

He pulled back for a breath, and then I pressed into him again, licking at his rough lips. Opening them, he moaned as I slid my tongue over his, tapping at his sharp teeth. Bowser pushed his tongue under mine and bounced it a bit, which tickled and caused me to break away laughing. He giggled and placed his hands on my waist.

"See?" Bowser seductively whispered. "Feels good."

"You make a good point," I murmured back to him.

We moved closer, into one another again, caressing one another's faces. His cheeks were rosy and mine were heated. Desperately, craving him, I didn't want this to end.

But a pounding from the door made us pause. Bowser squeezed his eyes shut and grumbled quietly. The rapping came again.

"One minute!" Bowser boomed.

Quickly, I scooted off of him and sat back on the bed. Bowser rolled around to get up, but turned and kissed me instead. It wasn't long and he pulled back, but with a grin for me. Still, he got up and trudged to the door.

"What?" He asked as he opened it. I glanced past his legs to see that it was Ludwig.

"Greetings…sire." Bitterness, possible hostility, was evident in Ludwig's tone. "Kamek has sent me to fetch you and your beloved."

From Bowser's raised, stiffened shoulders, it was obvious that he was no happier about this than Ludwig. He glanced to me and rolled his head forward to beckon me over. Getting up, I walked over to them and went out into the hall to follow Ludwig downstairs. The blue haired Koopaling studied me with contempt before turning ahead. I waited as Bowser shut the door and strolled beside me.

Though we weren't far from Ludwig, he didn't hold the door open as he went down the stairs, with Bowser having to catch it before it closed. I shrugged as Bowser rolled his eyes and gestured me onward with a wink.

Again, we reached the center room with the Warp Pipe, and again, Ludwig let the door close behind him. Grabbing in, I glared into the darkness after the Koopaling, with Bowser taking the door as I followed Ludwig in.

"So would the…uh, maybe not happy…let's go with 'odd couple,' shall we?" He snickered. "Anyway, after—"

"No, please," I interrupted. "Mop heads first. To clear the path."

At the Koopaling's snarl, I smirked. We listened as he went down the black Warp Pipe, and hesitated.

"Well, after you?" Bowser reached around for my waist, but missed. "Uh…sorry."

Perhaps unexpectedly for him, I laughed. Climbing up onto the rim of the Warp Pipe, I kissed his cheek before jumping down.

Launching out from the other side, I watched as Ludwig opened the door and glared back at me before letting it slam shut behind him. Bowser came through and I helped him down before taking off. Storming from the pipe room, I grabbed Ludwig and forced him to a halt.

"Let go."

"Fine, but we're not going anywhere."

Bowser stopped and gave me a puzzled look, but nodded in agreement.

"Obedient pet," Ludwig muttered.

"Repeat that and I'll toss you right over the bridge!" Bowser snarled.

"And that's just it. Ludwig, why do you hate us so much?"

"Mm. 'Hate' is a strong word." Bowser and I lowered our eyes at him. "What? I don't hate either of you, really. This just…irks me."

"What?" I folded my arms. "Is it because we're dating?"

"Well, in part—"

"Oh, to hell with that." Bowser folded his arms as well. "You've been giving me attitude for years now, but it's been at an all new high lately. What, were you that put off by not getting your way amongst your siblings?"

"Please." Ludwig flipped his hair. "Don't make me sound so juvenile and petty."

"Then what is it, Ludwig?" He tried to turn away, but I forced myself into his line of vision. "We're not going anywhere until you talk."

The Koopaling spun around to do just that, but Bowser thought ahead and blocked his path.

"Just talk to us, Ludwig," I insisted.

"You?!" He snapped, fury firing into his dark eyes. "Why, for all of the Mushroom Kingdom, should I be able to talk to you, of all people?! As far as I'm concerned, you're still a hindrance to us all!"

Glaring, Bowser reached down to his shoulder. "Hey, Ludwig—"

"No, get off!" Ludwig batted Bowser's hand away. "You don't control me!"

"Not completely, but while you're in my kingdom, my castle, you follow my orders!"

"Bowser."

"What?"

He leaned around and stared at Ludwig, who shuddered and tightened his fists. In his eyes, I thought I could see tears well up.

"Ludwig, what is it really?" He scowled at me, but I softened my face instead. "Just talk. Even if you don't like us, it's better to just get it out."

For a minute, Ludwig remained silent. However, after he swallowed and roughly brushed his eyes, he moved aside and faced us.

"It's the same as it's always been." He directed this to Bowser. "I was your top officer, and you gave me command of every—"

"Oh, this again?" Bowser groaned. "How many times—?"

"Wait, what?" I intervened.

"It's about his rank compared to my son." Bowser rolled his eyes.

"Not just your spoiled brat of a son!"

"What did you say?!"

"Cool it!" I slid between them. "Both of you." They glared past me, but nodded. "Ludwig, explain it calmly to me."

Inhaling, then exhaling, Ludwig nodded. "You know how Bowser keeps us ranked high amongst the troops. You remember how we used to be practically his own children back when we first met." I nodded. "Well, after losing to you once to many, and after he slept ar…after Junior was born, Bowser quickly began to shaft us."

"He's my son." Bowser grumbled, and shot a look to me, but I shrugged. "Of course I'm going to give him preferential treatments."

"Fine, but don't outright ignore us!" Ludwig choked and coughed, clearing his throat. "We may not go with all of your plans, but there are times you wouldn't even ask us to help you!"

"Refuse me once, shame on me. Refuse me twice—"

"And that's it?!" Ludwig held a glare against Bowser. "We respected you for years.  _I_  followed your wildest orders. Even now, even when I can't stand some of the choices that you've been making, I'm still standing under your rule. And how do you even thank us?!"

"By giving you a stabilized home? Compared to where else you go?" Bowser raised a brow as Ludwig turned away. "I've brought all seven of you in when no one would even consider—"

"That doesn't fix anything!" Ludwig yelled. "Just once, can't you…?"

"What do you want?" Bowser threw his hands up in aggravation, but I touched his side and calmed him slightly. "Ludwig, you're the wisest of your siblings, but you're the most difficult to please! What do you want from me? We don't see eye-to-eye, but I can at least get the others to work with me. What is it that you want?"

"…I don't know."

"Yes, you do." Bowser turned to look at me, puzzled. "He wants your approval. Bowser, you're like a father-figure to him, like the other Koopalings."

"Like the other…?" His eyes widened and the Koopa King nodded. "Ludwig—"

"No!" He spun away from us. "That's…that's not it, not at all!"

"Ludwig, please." He turned his head to look only at me. "Bowser may not show it as often as you would like, but he really cares about you, and your siblings. He wouldn't keep you under his wing if he didn't feel as close to you as you do to him."

Dropping his arms, Ludwig looked away from me as well. Bowser shared a look of concern with me, and then looked back to the eldest Koopaling. He stepped forward and placed his hand on Ludwig's shoulder, and he jumped. For a moment, he left Bowser alone, but Ludwig recovered, and brushed Bowser's hand away.

"Your sympathy is noted, but I don't need it. And we don't need you." He stepped away from Bowser.

"Maybe not. Maybe it's just that I need you." Ludwig spun back around. "And Mario here definitely needs you, as does Kamek. And Junior loves having all seven of you around." He sighed. "The seven of you round us out when we need it most. So…I do really need you."

Silently, Ludwig nodded. Bowser shot a smile over to me and I returned it.

"Well…let's go then."

"Ludwig—"

"No, heart-to-heart is over." He shook his head and walked toward the bridge. "Mario needs to speak with Kamek and we've taken too long already."

Without another word, he continued onward and crossed the bridge. Bowser heavily exhaled and I grabbed his hand. He softly smiled at me again and I nodded.

We walked into the green-lit Study, where the other Koopalings were placing several books back on the shelves. Larry shot a quizzical look to Ludwig, who stared off before joining in.

I stared at the shelves that they reorganized, studying the wooden shelves that lined the walls and towered over even Bowser. Kamek sat by the desk, glancing up at us, but lowering his head back down to stare ahead.

Approaching him, Kamek stood up and turned a book around to face us. I gazed down at the white and gold book, titled:  _Divine Arts and Studies of Divination_.

"That's from before, when I first came down here," I observed.

Kamek nodded. "I hadn't realized it before, but you were on the right track." He bit his lip. "My apologies for dismissing it."

Shrugging, I nodded. "It's a fair reaction."

"And usually a foolish one." He shook his head. "But that's neither here nor there."

"Right," agreed Bowser. "What's up with this curse?"

"As you're aware, the curse stirs nightmares in its victims." He nodded to Mario. "From what you checked, ages ago, these are meant to be false dreams that cause the victim to follow a psychic's bidding." His expression went grave as he continued. "However, these dreams do have some basis on events that are possible to come. Thus, one could actually pull certain events that occur in the dream and relate them as they come to life, so to speak."

"Does…that mean they'll happen?" I questioned as my heart raced and my hands shook. Bowser scooped one into his and rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb.

"Ultimately, it's impossible to tell, as the future isn't exactly written. Or, so I'd assume." Kamek shrugged. "The symptoms are numerous, but…"

"But what, Kamek?" Bowser urged.

"Mario…displayed an unhealthy number of them." He sighed as our eyes widened. "They include the nightmares, obviously, but also involve hallucinations, passing out in at least one deep slumber, though more are possible. Along with those include irritability or other mixed emotions, latent magic abilities to surface, recurring visions or symbols—"

"Like a bird?" I paused as Kamek glanced up at me. "In…in a few of my dreams, I've been with a firebird of some kind. I don't understand how it's involved—"

"Doesn't matter. If you've had at least one recurring symbol, it's a definite sign of the curse." My heart hammered as Bowser squeezed my hand. "I believe you get the point. Along with that, the nightmares tend to be in a recurring location, and with Shamans predominantly hailing Star Hill, it's the typical setting for these to occur."

"That's great, but how do we get rid of it?" Bowser's voice seemed to mix annoyance with concern.

"In order to have a curse removed, another Shaman would need to be able to take care of it." Kamek tapped at the notes beside him. "And it does need to be performed in the location that the nightmares occur, so you would need to go to Star Hill to rid yourself of this curse."

"No." Bowser and Kamek gazed at me while I shook my head. "It's too dangerous."

"Actually, it's not as bad as leaving it in you." Kamek double checked his notes, flipped through a book, skimmed a page, and nodded. "If untreated, you could go delirious, for a much more extensive period of time, or your body could begin to have physical reactions to the dreams. For example, if you get cut in the dream and actually begin to feel it—"

"It could happen to him in real life?"

"His body will feel like it has, which…could be potentially worse."

"I can die, can't I?"

"Theoretically speaking, yes."

Bowser grabbed my shoulders and turned me to him. "You are going to Star Hill."

"No, I can't!" I shook my head.

"Why not? You run a risk of dying if we don't do anything!"

"How likely would that be?"

"Mario!"

"Someone dies there!"

The room grew quiet as the Koopalings turned around to stare. Noticing their own silence, they quickly returned to shuffling the books and papers back onto the shelves, between small statues and potions. Bowser gaped at me while Kamek adjusted his spectacles.

"Dies?"

"Yes! And I don't know who, but it could be you." Bowser's shoulders slumped down as he continued to gaze at me. Kamek observed me carefully, as if he could learn something else. Maybe. "How likely is it that those symptoms will overcome me?"

"Stronger than your dreams being accurate," assessed Kamek. "However, both are possible."

"Then we're not going," I reaffirmed. "Better for me to suffer alone than—"

"What, the off chance that I could die?"

"It's not just you." Bowser locked his eyes into mine, before they widened in horror, understanding. "We can't go."

Kamek shook his head. "I highly advise you to do so. You won't need to spend long there, just enough time to find a Shaman that can get rid of the curse."

"Are they a threat?" Bowser inquired.

"Depends. Shamans are quite private with their lives, but I'd imagine that one would recognize you two."

"Who wouldn't?"

"The trick is which one would be most inclined to help." Kamek shifted his hat around. "Some may like Mario for his heroics, some may enjoy the trouble Bowser has caused, though I suspect many will not even want you there."

"We'll find someone."

"Bowser—"

"Look, we're going. I'm not letting you die Mario." Desperation. "Neither of us will be dying anytime soon." Determination.

"You can't promise that though."

"Watch me."

He grinned confidently, but I don't share his enthusiasm. Kamek shifted his face between the two of us and shook his head.

"It's getting late. We'll talk more tomorrow."

Both of us nodded, and Kamek turned the books around, organizing them on the desk. He looked me over one last time and nodded before walking out.

* * *

**[Bowser]**

It was definitely the early morning, but even a few hours later, Mario was still awake. His breathing was irregular and he shifted uncomfortably repeatedly. My sigh caused him to jump.

"How long have you been awake for?"

"About as long as you."

"Well, sleep." He rolled away from me. "This is exactly why I didn't want to be on top of you tonight."

"Oh, but you're not…yet." I chuckled as he rolled back over to whack me with his pillow. "You set yourself up for that."

"I'm trying to be serious."

"Not when you're all grumpy like that. It's too cute."

"Go to sleep, Bowser."

"Not while you're awake. I'll worry too much."

He groaned and rolled away from me. Not letting up, I turned with him and slipped my arms around his sides. His heartbeat raced and his whole body was tense.

"Don't."

"We're just lying together."

"But—"

"Mario, if I can't love you, can you tell me who can?" He didn't answer. "Who are you going to let in?"

"No one."

"That's a horrible decision."

"It will keep people alive."

"Forever? No, it won't."

Again, Mario was silent. Still, I rubbed his chest, resting my head above his.

"Talk, at least to me. What happened?"

"You died. I died."

"I got that, but I need a little more than that."

Heavily, he sighed. "I dreamt of three possible ways it could go down. The first involved Peach falling from a cliff near a waterfall." He paused as my eyes widened; her death I hadn't expected. "After that, we saved her, but you were killed as we escaped from a cave-in. And on the last run, you both made it, but I was stabbed by a mysterious assailant on Star Hill."

"…Why can't you dream of happy things?" He spun around and punched my shoulder as I laughed. "Sorry! I shouldn't have, I'm sorry." Stopping, I kissed his forehead. "So, you had a dream that resulted in someone dying after we corrected each issue that came up." Mario nodded. "Heavy stuff."

"What am I supposed to do about that? I can't just willingly bring you into danger, let alone anyone else on top of that." He squeezed his eyes shut.

"Well, I'll tell you now, we're not going to be with Peach when we go to Star Hill; she's still rallying against me, in case you didn't know. So, like Kamek told us, it's not even certain that those dreams will come true."

Slowly, he opened his engrossing blue eyes and nodded. Smiling, I slid one arm down to his waist, taking hold of his hand.

"We both know that I can't guarantee anything." Admitting helped enforce it into my own mind, along with letting him know I understood his concerns. "Honestly, I'd really like to not die. But I also don't want that happening to you. And on top of that, you've suffered enough from this curse."

His free hand moved up and covered my lips, at least as well as he could. "Bowser, I have one brother and fans. You run an entire castle, where you live with an adoptive father and eight children. Tell me, which of us is worth living?"

"Oh, are we going to weigh our lives against one another?" My tone was mixture between amusement and annoyance. "Let's see…villainous king that has some of his own subjects that despise him, let alone the rest of the greater kingdom he lives in, versus the symbol of hope that the greater kingdom practically worships, let alone a hero of galaxies." He frowned at my smirk. "So, if you're looking to measure the two of us, try harder. Because kingdom hero versus parent king is a pretty tight race."

"Why can't we be talking about go-karting?" We shared a small laugh. "You raise a good point, but I still can't have you do this."

"Would you feel better if I grabbed some troops to go with us?"

"Depends on the soldiers."

"Kamek can pick some reliable options. And the Koopalings are usually a good choice."

"All right, then that would ease my mind a bit, since you were the only one from here to be with us." I tilted my head a bit. "It was the two of us with Peach, Luigi, and Daisy."

Snorting, I shifted my head on the pillow. "If there were five options, why was I one of the three to die?" Again, Mario hit me. "Hey, that was a fair question."

"None of you should have died."

"War doesn't usually allow for complete survival on both sides."

"This might not have even been related to the war!"

"If it's not, I'll be stupefied."

"Still…"

"Still, we need to go to Star Hill and find you a Shaman."

Pleading, Mario stared into my eyes with a hint of tears in his, probably hoping to sway me otherwise. However, I quickly kissed him instead.

"Bowser, please—"

"No, Mario, we will go, and it's better to go sooner when it's just the two of us." Though I smiled, I was adamant in my decision. "You can't seriously expect me to continue to watch you suffer and do nothing but hug you. We need a real cure for you. And as much as I'd like to think the 'super boyfriend' role works, we can't rely on that forever."

That got a nice laugh out of him, a delight to hear. Not wanting him to stop, I wiggled my hands around him, making him laugh some more. After a couple of minutes, I stopped my tickle torture and let Mario catch his breath. Once he did, I kissed him again, getting nice brush from his mustache as he kissed me back. Still low on breath, he pulled away after a minute, as both of our heartbeats danced. Softly, I caressed his cheek, easing him back into a steady breathing.

"Well, has my 'super boyfriend' come up with any ideas to get me to relax and sleep?"

Grinning, I massaged his back and moved my tail near his leg. "Oh, I have a few ideas. So, how about we—"

A knocking sounded from my door and I let out a heavy sigh. Mario laughed and kissed my cheek.

"Perks of ruling?"

"Not even close."

Lingering, I ran my hand through his hair before bouncing up from the bed. Opening the door, I stared down at my son, who gazed up at me with tears in his eyes.

"Junior? Son, what's wrong?"

Shuddering, my boy couldn't speak.

"You have a nightmare, son?" Quickly, he nodded. Softly, I chuckled and picked him up. "Guess you've got more in common with your Papa than I thought."

"Wait, you?"

My eyes widened as I glanced back at Mario. Nervously laughing, I slipped from the room and closed the door behind me, leaving him without my answer.

Quietly, I took Junior back to his room. Carefully, I crept through his room, avoiding the mess scattered around the floor. Reaching his bed, I sat down on it and went to put Junior down. Just as I went to, however, he quickly grabbed onto me again.

"What is it, Son?"

"Papa, I don't want to." He whined and tightened his hold on me.

"Junior, you need to rest." Softly, I sighed and put my hands around him.

"But then you'll leave."

Thinking for a minute, I offered, "If you want me to stay, I'll be right here with you."

"But…then Mario will be alone."

Freezing, I faltered in my response. "He'll…be fine."

"No, he won't. He wasn't fine earlier. Papa, you need to stay with him."

"Well, I can't be in two places at once." Junior pulled back and lowered his eyes. "Or, you could…stay with…us."

"Yes please."

Sighing, I nodded and rose back up. Not paying as close attention, I stepped on a block and yelped. Rubbing my foot, I tiptoed from Junior's room and trudged back to mine. Opening it, I stared at Mario, with his arms folded behind his head. He glanced at us and smiled.

"Will we have a guest for tonight?"

"Um…if you don't mind?"

"Not at all!"

My shoulders dropped in relief. Of course Mario wouldn't mind, but…it's nice to hear such. Sliding back into bed, I set Junior down between us. He slowly crawled under the covers, and still seemed just a bit wary around Mario. In less than a minute though, Junior settled in easily.

"Comfy?" He smiled and nodded. "Good. Now, let's get some sleep."

"But…I'm still scared, Papa."

Holding in my groan, I buried my face into the pillow.

"Do you want to talk about your nightmare, Junior?" I heard Mario ask him. "Your Papa's a great listener and helped me feel better after I had my nightmare."

"Really Papa?" I picked my head up and glanced from Junior to Mario.

"Uh…yeah?" Wait a minute. "Junior, you've told me about them before."

"This one's different." Junior squeezed the covers around him. "In it, Mario was still asleep and we couldn't get him up. And then you were really sad, and then angry at everyone."

"Aw, Junior, that's my fault from before." I ran my hand soothingly across his head. "I let myself panic over Mario too much, and I shouldn't have taken it out around you. But he's fine now, and so am I!"

"No, it was different. We went to a purple and blue mountain to get him help, but something went wrong and they told us that they couldn't help him."

Slowly, I gazed at Mario, whose eyes were as wide as my own. Neither of us had spoken to Junior about Star Hill, and even though he had overheard a bit from before, I couldn't recall taking him there.

"Junior, who were 'they' that you're talking about?"

"Um…people in dark cloaks, and you couldn't see much besides their eyes." He paused and pushed the covers away from his face. "Are those the Shamans that Kamek keeps talking about?"

"It sounds like that fits the description, if memory serves," murmured Mario.

"And who went to Star Hill?"

"Star Hill?"

"That's the mountain in your dream, son."

"It's real? That's what Star Hill looks like?"

"Yes, that's it; the purple and blue mountain where you can see shooting stars and make wishes."

"Wow!" Junior sat and thought for a moment. "Well, besides you and me, Kamek and the Koopalings came with us. But…they ended up disappearing while the dream went on."

"Disappearing?" Mario raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, they just suddenly weren't there anymore." He tugged off his bib and handed it to me to place off of the bed. "Each of them just kind of disappeared little by little as the dream went on. And then it was just you, Kamek, me, and the Shaman."

Mario and I stared at one another, unsettled by the information Junior provided. Studying us, Junior frowned and tugged on my arm beneath the pillow above him.

"Papa, are you going to Star Hill soon?"

"Well…I need to take Mario there. We need to find a friendly Shaman that knows how to remove his curse."

Junior's eyes lowered and he nodded. "Make sure you're careful with the Koopalings when you go then."

For a minute, I thought it over. "Maybe they'll stay here with you, son."

"But you'll need someone to go with you," argued Junior. "It can't just be the two of you. The Shamans are…weird."

"Kamek can come and he'll help us think it over before we go." I glanced at Mario, who bit his lip, but nodded when Junior turned to him.

"Ok…that's good." Junior yawned. "I'm…sleepy now. But…I don't…"

"Don't worry Junior," assured Mario. "Your Papa's good at chasing away nightmares too."

"He is?"

"Yep." Mario winked while I held in a small fit of laughter.

"Wow. That's…cool."

Yawning again, Junior snuggled under the covers and soon fell asleep. Mario and I smiled as we watched his breathing rise and fall at a steady rate.

"Thank you," I whispered. "I wasn't sure how I was going to deal with that one."

"Sure you would have." Mario reached past Junior and held my hand. "It was just easier for me since I could relate quicker."

"…If I find out my son is cursed—"

"Bowser, I'm sure he's fine." Mario quietly yawned. "It's just a coincidence."

Rubbing his hand, I hesitantly nodded. "Hopefully."

"And here I thought you were becoming the optimistic one." Mario chuckled.

"Let's just agree not to put anything out of the realm of possibility." To that, Mario nodded. For a moment, we listened to the soft sounds of my son's sleeping breaths. However, I needed to make my original point clear. "So, we're going to Star Hill, and soon, ok? I don't need my son panicking over this for longer than he has to."

Slowly, Mario sighed and nodded. "You want to go tomorrow, don't you?"

"It does take a while to get there and back."

"Yes, I know." I squeezed his hand and smiled as he stared past me. He shook his head and looked back at me. Something about his blue eyes was calming, even in spite of everything else we were dealing with. "All right. But we can't take the Koopalings."

"Fair enough. Again, I'll have Kamek pick out some troops to take with us." Grinning, I added, "Oh, and no princesses. Or your brother." Mario glared at me while I stifled my laughter. "Just to be sure!"

"You just couldn't wait to add that in, could you?" He pouted and turned away.

"Hey, come on now." I tugged on his hand. "I admit, I'll need to get along with your brother some day. Peach, I'm not so sure about, but we'll try to address that again once we've taken care of you. All right?"

He rolled back over and I smiled at him. Mario smiled back and tightly gripped my hand. Soon after, though, he frowned.

"I'm scared."

"Me too," I admitted. "This certainly isn't something that either of us are familiar with. But that's why we'll face it together." Smiling more, I tightened my hold on his hand as well. "Anyone who crosses the two of us individually already had problems. Together though, they'll need to think twice." I blew him a quiet kiss. "We'll be fine."

"What about the environment itself? I don't think you can stop natural events from occurring around us, unless you've got tricks that you haven't told me about."

"Again, nothing's definite, but I promise you that we'll do our best to be on guard and watch out for even the slightest changes. If a pebble begins to crumble, we'll react to whatever follows. And we can get through that too."

"Hopefully." Mario smiled again. "I'm taking your word on that."

"And I intend to keep it." I winked at him and rubbed his hand again.

Softly, Junior grunted in his sleep. Mario and I silently hushed one another, and then quietly laughed. Still holding hands under the pillows above Junior, we watched one another as we drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're finally plotting to go to Star Hill, yay! …Or maybe not yay?
> 
> While it's not guaranteed that Mario's dreams will actually unfold, there's still a risk there. And to add an eerie flavor to the mix, Junior had a nightmare of his own, relating to Mario's. Coincidence? Or something more? (Or was it just a way for me to shove another tender family moment into the story?) But either way, they're in this together, so Bowser and Mario can take small comforts in that. (Super boyfriends!)
> 
> Meanwhile, Ludwig. He's been a bit of a brat, looking back, though usually collected with how he goes about things. Still, something about him kept bothering both Mario and Bowser, which I wanted to have them confront. Bowser and Ludwig tend to clash with one another, so Mario was able to facilitate their discussion and get to the heart of the problem. (Also, I like the fandom belief that Ludwig was originally in charge of the Koopalings before Junior came along; while he's not the definitive leader in this story, he sure tries to act like it.)
> 
> As for the curse, it's lethal if left unchecked, and only a Shaman can remove a Shaman's curse. However, they're not a particularly common race (playing on the fact that they only appeared by species name in Super Mario RPG and with questionable appearances later on), so their reactions to both Mario and Bowser could go in any direction. Hooray, more moral ambiguity amongst the species!
> 
> For now, that'll be all. Next chapter, Kamek will grab some soldiers to team up with Bowser and Mario as they set off for Star Hill. If the Koopalings aren't going though, who will? And can Bowser really keep that safety promise to Mario, or is this just one more thing beyond his control? There's still so much more to come, so we'll see. Comments and criticisms are welcome, just send me a review or message. It's been quiet lately, so I'd love to hear more, but I understand that folks are pretty busy too, so no pressure. As always, thank you for reading!


	28. A Xebec

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bowser and Mario continue their preparations to set off for Star Hill, but first must deal with personal conflicts, rebels, and sort out the crew Kamek selected for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time now to see who's going to Star Hill with Bowser and Mario. Oh, and some fluffy stuff to start the chapter. Also, some action in the middle. So, set some time aside and read ahead!

**[Bowser]**

Morning came sooner than I expected. With a snort, I picked up my head and shook myself awake. Though the light from the Dark Lands isn't as noticeable to everyone, I've grown used to the slight difference when the morning light breaks through the smog and into my window.

Carefully, I unraveled my hand from Mario's and slid out from the bed. My feet dragged a bit on the ground, while my arms weighed a little heavy. I took a minute to stretch before I turned back and smiled at my slumbering son, and then glanced at my boyfriend…who woke up.

"Good morning," yawned Mario. He clamped his hands over his mouth once he remembered Junior was beside him and quietly slipped from the bed as well.

"Sorry," I whispered. "I thought I could get up without waking you."

"Oh, I was already waking up." Mario buttoned his overalls in place over his red shirt, and brushed his hair before tossing his hat on. "Should we let him rest?"

"Yeah, he'll get up in a little while." I smiled down at my son again before beckoning Mario to follow me out of the bedroom.

He carried his shoes from the room and I close the door. Chuckling, I folded my arms and watched him bounce around to get his feet in.

"You know, you could have just put those on in the room."

"Hey, I…didn't want to…make any more noise—oomph! …Than need be." Mario stomped down with his foot and tugged it to make sure his shoes were on properly. Again, I laughed, and he shot me an annoyed look as he shoved his hands into his gloves. "What?"

"Nothing. You're just really cute." Mario blushed and I slid my hand around his waist with a wink. "So, any more nightmares last night?"

"Nope. I had you nearby."

"Good. Are you ready to head out later today?"

At that, Mario's shoulders and smiled dropped. "Not exactly."

"Aw, are you still worried?" He nodded almost immediately. "Come on, Mario. I gave you my word."

"That seemed fine last night, when today was miles away." He swallowed hard. "But now it is today."

"Mario. Peach won't be there. I'm not taking the Koopalings. This won't end up like your nightmare, or Junior's." I brought my hand up and rubbed his back. "We can get through this."

For a minute, he didn't answer. Then, with a deep inhale and releasing it, Mario nodded. I gave him my free hand and held onto his.

"So, what about you? You're…not nervous anymore?"

"Oh, no, I still am."

"Wait, what?" Mario's mouth fell open before he shook his head. "Then don't bury it to keep me calm!"

"No, I'm not burying it for your sake!" I laughed and bounced on my feet a bit. "My own excitement is what's keeping it down!"

"Excitement?"

"It's just that this is the first time in ages that I've been able to willingly go on an adventure with you!"

"Well…that is one way to look at it."

"You bet it is!" Again, I bounced around, but paused as I glanced back at Mario. "Isn't this the first time that you're teaming up with my troops instead of your team?"

"Um…I think it is, yes. I've worked with similar species before, but…"

"But not my actual troops, and not with me at the same time!" Mario shrugged and nodded while I rubbed my hands together. "I can't tell you how exciting this is for me!"

"Apparently, very."

"Even me jumping around like a fool won't relax you?"

"To be honest, I find it a bit terrifying." He chuckled while I dropped my arms and let my head fall. "Oh, all right, I'm sorry. Don't get all upset on me like that."

"And people call me the bad guy?"

"Yes, among many other unflattering names."

I picked my head up and expected him to have a smile stuck on his face, but he surprised me with a rather annoyed expression instead.

"Mario, those aren't that big of a deal to me."

"They can't be unnoticeable."

"Yeah, but I'm a king." A light laugh escaped me. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not often met without resistance of some manner. Insults come with that."

"But—"

"There's nothing for you to get hung up over," I soothed. "People talk, they fire off unflattering comments. It's unavoidable, and if it were the worst I had to live with, I'd practically sing everyday."

"Sing?" His smile instantly appeared. "Now I would very much like to hear that from you."

"Oh, no you wouldn't." I shook my head. "Unlike your singing voice, mine is…awful."

"That can't be true."

"Let's just leave it a mystery that you'll need to solve at a later date."

"Another date to reveal the 'Ballads of Bowser?' Sounds like a win-win scenario for me."

"Hey, that's not…" He grinned as I let out a heavy sigh. "I think you're spending too much time around me. You're starting to get as cheeky as I am."

"Like attracts like." Mario pulled me down the hall, away from the bedroom door.

"Really? I always thought it was, 'opposites attract.' That makes more sense, no?"

He guided my head down and I leaned closer. "Honestly, it's probably somewhere in the middle of those two." My eyes were met with the deepest blue. His mustache tickled my top lip and my face flared up. "After all, that's where the best things happen."

My smile practically invited him into my lips as he tenderly pressed against me. We kissed deeply, our tongues pushing into one another's mouths almost immediately. Wrapping my arm around his waist and my hand behind his head, I pushed forward and ran my tongue on the back of his, delighted by his moaning. His hands gently gripped my face and pulled me into him. Mario's tongue rolled against my cheek and tapped at my tongue before rubbing over it. And a moan escaped from me, causing him to slide his against the edge of mine.

Out of breath, we untangled ourselves and broke apart for air. Still, he scratched under my chin and beamed broadly at me as we panted. Again, I pulled him in closer and leaned forward, but paused.

"Hold on. We need to get going." His hands lingered on my face even as I inched away from him. "Kamek will be waiting for us."

Silently, his hands fell from my face and my heart dropped from their abrupt absence. Mario stepped back and nodded, ready to turn down the hall.

"Wait." He paused as I moved my face back against his. Kamek can wait a little longer. Once more, I returned my arms around him, and we kissed tightly. Our lips pressed against one another's, his so soft and delicious. We pushed our tongues past and into each other's mouths, and my heart skipped in delight.

But then, Mario slid his hand onto my chest and slowly pushed away. We stopped and I pulled back from him.

"We can't keep him waiting too long."

"Yes we can."

"Bowser." He stared straight into my eyes. "Come on."

Frustrated, I grunted. "Fine. But I demand more of these later."

"Considering that there's no one around to hide from, deal." Mario smiled as I blinked and nodded. Though I knew there was no one left to hide from, it still didn't come naturally to me. Besides, stolen kisses are fun.

In spite of internally screaming to stay up here, we took the stairs down to the main level. Mario gazed around at the portraits of me along the walls, and I clawed at the back of my head.

"T-Those aren't because I wanted them up," I brought up. "Well…not all of them."

"They look nice."

"Really?" I paused as he lowered his eyes at me. "…Oh. Because you're into me, right."

Mario chuckled while I scratched my cheek. Couldn't he stare at the tables with a bunch of little statues on them instead? I blinked and glanced at them. They were also of me. Grumbling, I shook my head.

"Ok, so I'm pretty vain."

"Not entirely."

"Oh no? Even as you're fixated on it?"

"Well, if you were completely self-absorbed, I don't think we'd be able to date." He started to walk away as I jumped a bit. "I wouldn't be good enough for you."

At that, I hurried back over to him. "No way! You read my letters!"

"Right, but imagine if you were completely full of yourself." We stopped by a portrait of Junior, and thankfully without me in it. "That wouldn't exist, and neither would your interest in me. Or, it would, but then you'd be disappointed that I couldn't measure up to your expectations."

"Screw vain me then, you've exceeded them."

He blushed and picked at his mustache while I grinned and ruffled his cap. His hair brushed against my hand slightly, making it harder to pull away. Mario took my hand and intertwined it with his.

"See? Not entirely."

"At least when it comes to you and my kid, sure." I posed proudly and he laughed, before he tugged me along to continue.

Passing some closed windows through the stony corridors, we eventually found the red carpet that led to my throne room. Mario quietly studied them and rubbed under his chin.

"What is it?"

"Did you really pick out the red colors because of me?"

"Yeah."

"That's an odd way to decorate your interior." He glanced at some red curtains that hung from the windows and a few red and black banners with my emblem on them. "And I've seen the red colors for years, so…"

"First off, I have been interested in you for years, so that definitely works." We slowed to a stop and turned to one another. "Second, it's not everywhere that's decorated with red rugs and curtains, just a lot of places that I frequently visit." He raised an eyebrow at me, unconvinced. "It's true! I use other colors in other places. But red works as a reminder of you and can be menacing, so it was a two-for-one decision." That was a lie, but he already knows how obsessive I am over him.

Still appearing unconvinced, Mario nodded and rubbed my hand. Blushing, I tried to look away to hide it, but squeezed his hand as well.

Down another couple of halls, we reached my throne room and walked in. Tall, unlit candles and torches lined the walls as we walked into the empty room, again with statues and portraits of me along the walls. For the first time in a while, I really wish I had put a little more variety into my design decisions.

Toward the end of the room, I went to go sit on my cushy black and red throne, but hesitated. Mario had stopped before it and watched me stand next to it.

"Well? Come on."

"Up there? That seats one."

"Yep, but so do I." Grinning and lowering my eyes, I sat on the throne and patted my lap.

Rolling his eyes into a glare, Mario tapped his foot. "That's indecent."

"No it's not. And we're the only two here right now, so what does it matter?"

"It matters because I don't want Kamek or anyone else walking in on me straddling their king." If my grin could grow any bigger, it would have. "Stop smiling!"

"When I'm around you, I can't help it!" His face was flushed and he folded his arms. "Come on, Mario. I don't have an extra throne in here, since Junior threw his last one at a Spike, but I'll get you one while I get a new one for him, ok?" I stretched out my legs and patted my lap again. "For now, just come on up. And you don't need to straddle me, unless you want to." I finished with a wink.

Flustered, Mario bounced on his feet for a moment. Then, to my delight, he walked up to the throne and climbed onto my lap. Too excited, I threw my arms around him and pulled him into me.

"B-Bowser!"

Jumping, I slid back into my seat and let him rest on my thigh. He lightened up a bit while I rubbed his back, still flushed. My cheeks burned as well, but I couldn't get the smirk off of my face even if I wanted to. Steadily, he relaxed and eased into me.

"So…you'd get me a throne too?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"For starters, we're not married."

My eyes widened as it finally clicked. "Uh, well, it's not, I mean, you're not required to be…to have a throne, that is…um." He laughed while I shifted around in my seat. "Really, it's just a chair. You having one wouldn't mean anything more than it does for me."

"It means you're king."

"So does a crown, and I don't usually wear those!" Mario laughed again while my free hand clawed through my hair. "Quit it!"

"Aw, why?" He leaned into me and placed his hands on my chest. "You made a good point, and I'm just agreeing."

"…So do you want a throne or what?"

"Wasn't it just a chair?"

"Sure, but I…" A sigh escaped me and I wanted to look anywhere but his bright and smiling face. "You've been in this kingdom for ages. Don't you want more from it?"

"Right now, I'm getting more." He scooted up further and moved to level his head with mine.

"Please, tell me the truth." My arm dropped away from him and I pulled back. "I can't be your end goal."

Mario's expression shifted to a confused one. "Why not?"

"Because I…I can't be." He frowned while I shook my head. "Never mind; we're focusing on getting you better, ok?"

If we had another minute, I could have spoken more. But the doors down the end of the hall smashed open and we whirled our heads around to find a few troops coming down the room toward us. Notably, Kamek wasn't with them.

Quickly, Mario jumped off of me and I stood up as they approached. A Lakitu, two Koopas, a Paragoomba, a Snifit, and…a Fuzzy. Not Kamek's choices.

"Never heard of knocking?"

"Apologies, your most regal nastiness."

Dissenters.

"State your business." My fists tightened as I pushed Mario behind me, though he tried to bat my arm away.

"Are we not allowed to come visit our king and his precious pet?" The Lakitu darkly smirked. "Or was this meant to be a more private moment?"

"Cut your crap," I growled. "You're not even trying to hide your intentions. If you're here for him, you're going through me this time."

"Hehehehe!" The Fuzzy bounced around excitedly. "With pleasure, meork!"

The little black fuzz ball bounced at me, but my hand shot up and flicked him out of an opened window. I rolled my eyes while the Paragoomba flew over to attack next, knocking him on the head and tearing his wings off.

He yelped out and bounced back while the two Koopas rushed forward. Mario leapt from behind me and stomped down on them, knocking them back into their shells.

Smirking, I kicked the two back at the Snifit, who was attempting to launch a bullet at us. They collided and fell over, with the Koopas sliding back out from their shells and groaning.

"Tell me this isn't everyone you brought," I taunted to the Lakitu.

"Of course not."

At that, the Lakitu threw a Spiny Egg down the room and hit the door. It rattled on the floor for a moment before the door slammed open once again. A Sledge Bro clomped into the room, releasing slight tremors as it stepped in.

"Will that make things more interesting, your grumpiness?"

Glancing back at Mario, I watched as the Sledge Bro made his way over to the throne while the other rebels stood back up. "Take care of the trash." He nodded and I spewed a stream of fire at them.

Walking past the flames while Mario jumped at the Lakitu, the Sledge Bro pulled out his mallet and watched as I strode over to him.

"You can always turn back, you know," I offered.

"No chance," rumbled the Sledge Bro. "No choice."

"Those only happen after you attack me."

"Sorry."

A hammer sailed through the air to give me his answer. Sidestepping it, I spat a fireball at the Sledge Bro, who jumped away from it.

Once he hit the ground, a shockwave that rippled around him, ruffling the red carpet beneath him. Keeping my distance, I spat another fireball, which he threw a hammer at. It cut through the fire, but fell to the ground and dented the floor beneath the rug.

This was taking too long for me. I rushed over to the Sledge Bro and tackled him to the ground. Falling backwards onto his shell, he struggled to rise. I started punching him while he tried to block my blows with a sledgehammer.

Instead, I took it and whacked him over the head with it. While the helmet softened the hit, the Sledge Bro's eyes spun and shut. His chest rose and fell, but he didn't move after that.

Grunting and standing, I checked on Mario. He leapt onto one of the Koopas again and threw the shell at the Snifit, who tried to spit a bullet at him. The shell collided and took the Snifit out.

Just as that happened, the Lakitu threw a Spiny Egg down at Mario, who had barely pulled his arm away from the needled egg. He glared at the Lakitu, and watched him ready another Spiny Egg.

"Hey!"

Hearing my bark, the Lakitu panicked and turned to throw the egg at me. He was met with a large fireball to his face as his cloud disappeared.

Smiling at Mario, my eyes shot open as the Goomba popped up and threw himself at Mario. The other Koopa hurried over to attack him as I stepped forward to help.

Something else anchored me to my place. Glaring back, the Sledge Bro had grappled me into place within seconds.

"When did you get back up?"

"Faking."

"Ah."

Struggling to break free of his hold, I helplessly watched as Mario jumped away from the Goomba, only to get tackled by the Koopa. His other two opponents recovered and the Snifit hurried over to join in while the second Koopa checked on the fallen Lakitu.

Angered, I readied another fireball in my throat, but the Sledge Bro choked it and kept my mouth clamped shut. The Snifit's bullet whizzed just past Mario as he kicked the Koopa off of him, and the bullet ricocheted away from my throne. Once more, the Goomba crashed into him and my shouts for him were muffled.

"You lose," murmured the Sledge Bro. Harder, I squirmed in his grip and almost broke out of it.

Suddenly, he grunted and his arms fell away from me. Freed, I breathed a heavy fire stream at the trio still attacking Mario, each one who cried out from the flames.

I ran to Mario as he pushed himself up from the ground. He steadied himself and dusted his clothes off, which looked wrinkled, but otherwise fine. I checked him over, noticing just a few scratches, but nothing major.

"Are you ok?" It was an unnecessary question, but I had to ask it regardless.

"Yes, I'm fine. And you?"

"Just panicked a little, nothing new." A quick glance showed a few scratch marks from where the Sledge Bro had grabbed me, but nothing threatening. Mario hugged me and rubbed my sides while I embraced him back.

Remembering the last Koopa, I jolted away from Mario and whirled around. Before him and the fallen Lakitu were a gray Spike Top and an orange Tail Bob-omb.

"Oh, greetings, sire," the Spike Top turned to me.

"…Glaucus?"

"Yes sir, it's me." He shuffled in place. "Got a tiny bit of an upgrade since we last met. They wanted me prepared for when we left."

"Prepared?"

"Best not to talk about it in front of these craven cretins," interrupted the Bob-omb.

"Bombkin?"

"How ever could you tell?" He wagged the green and brown tail behind him with a sigh.

"When did we get Super Leaves?"

"One Super Leaf," Bombkin corrected. "I was supposed to have it for Mario, but that klutz of a Goomba crashed into me and now I have…this." He spun and whipped his tail around, not at all pleased by the result. "Enough of that, though. He's taking care of the Fuzzy outside while we bring this lot to the dungeons. You two head down to the Council Chamber. Kamek should be waiting there for you."

Nodding, I took Mario and led him out from the throne room. Walking down the hall, we glanced back at the throne room doors. Shrugging, the two of us stopped halfway and turned right, strolling down another stony corridor. A Spike wandered past us and waved, turning left from the hall we just departed.

"This place is still confusing me." Mario shook his head and held it with his hands.

"That's the point." I laughed and pulled him along.

We took another left and made our way back to the stairs. We traveled to the lower levels and went down the back hall to the Council Chamber. Mario hesitated and stumbled as I guided him along.

"What is it?"

"Ah…I didn't even notice this hall before." He stared down the darkened corridor and shuddered.

"Don't worry; they try to make it all secretive." I lifted my hands and waved them around, getting a laugh from Mario. "It's just a straight walk down and the door's right there." And we walked right over to it…though the darkness was intimidating, I'll admit.

Inside, Kamek waited at the end of the long table, hopping up and shuffling down to Mario and I. Along with him were a colorful gathering of troops, some that I recognized from earlier, though it took a moment.

"Kamek, who do you have assembled here?"

"My selection for those to serve as your royal guard."

"Royal guard?"

"They'll function as elite soldiers that are specifically working to your benefit, a cabal if you will." I scratched my head and looked to Mario, who shrugged. We stepped forward and the door opened behind us, with a Spiked Goomba tripping his way inside.

"Goomphen, you've got to get a hold of yourself," scolded Bombkin as he and Glaucus helped the Goomba back up. His eyes were wider and his teeth were softer than most other Goombas.

"S-So-Sorry, guys."

"Wait. Is that Stammers?"

"Yea-Yes, sir, it's m-me." The Goomba with the green spiked cap shuddered in my presence. It had three horns in a triangular shape at the top, with a fourth larger spike protruding from the middle. "They n-needed a f-final m-me-member."

"He's actually stronger than he appears to be," vouched Glaucus. "You'll see."

The trio made their way to three open seats around the table, while Kamek guided Mario and I to the opposite side. A yellow Snifit and a blue Shy Guy whispered to one another, but stopped once we approached.

"These are Jasmine and Tech Guy," introduced Kamek.

"Wait a second, I know them." I stared at the duo as nervously waved. "His name is Blue Guy, I thought."

"No, sire, that's the name you gave me."

"Then why didn't you correct me?"

"Correcting the king doesn't seem wise."

"…Smart." I nodded to the blue Shy Guy, who now had a propeller on his head. "Does that make you a Fly Guy now?"

"Supposed to, but you can call me what you please."

"Very smart." He tugged on his hood at my compliment. The yellow Snifit patted him, and I noticed her nozzle was slightly charred at the end of her facemask. "Jasmine, right?"

"Yep, that's me, sir."

"What's with the burn marks?"

"Oh, I've upgraded my nozzle." She shifted it around and clapped. "Now it shoots out fireballs too!"

"So, bullets and fireballs?"

"Exciting, isn't it?" She twisted her nozzle again. "I think there's still an ice upgrade for me too, but I'll get that later."

Kamek took us along the table to the next two, a Red Boo and a green Blooper.

"These are Ruby and Olive."

"Hold on, I met them before." I glanced at Mario, who scratched the back of his neck.

"You too?"

"Duh. We've met both of you." Ruby cackled as he floated around. "But, you didn't meet me when I could do this!"

His body glowed and he morphed his form into a hybrid of himself and a Shy Guy.

"Now I'm a Boo Guy!" He cackled. "But wait, there's more!"

Again, he shifted his shape and turned into a dinosaur-like ghost.

"Eerie, right?" He snickered as he turned back to normal.

"They call that a Shifting Boo, or a Morphing Boo, your highest grace," explained Olive.

"Hey, hey! I wanted to tell them!"

"Apologies; you weren't quite getting to the point." I blinked at the darker spots on her head and around her tentacles. "Oh, I've been temporarily cursed, lord sire. I'll be able to double as a Poison Blooper for the time being."

"Um…will you be ok?"

"From the poison? Most certainly, your gracious majesty, it won't harm me. Our enemies, however, should proceed with caution." She paused and shook her tentacles. "Or perhaps not, since that would help them."

"Just think though: you could have been a Blooper Nanny!" Ruby laughed while Olive shuddered.

"Children are fine, but I'd hate to bring them around to fight with me."

"Aw, where's your sense of adventure? We're going on one!"

"Ruby, truly, you mustn't be so insistent on endangers the lives of others like that!"

"Why not? Then I get more friends like me!"

Ruby laughed once more as Kamek took us to the end of the table. On one side sat a purple, armor clad Koopatrol, while a black Rex and a white-shelled Paratroopa were on the other side. I studied the Koopatrol for a moment.

"Is that Koopella?"

"It is indeed, sire." She stood and saluted me. "I recently completed my training."

"Congratulations, then!"

"Thank you, sire!"

"Ooh, Koopella dear, relax." Nix smirked from the other side of the table and rested his head on his hands. "No need to be so uptight."

"Nix, you're the foulest and most idiotic option to have joined this group."

"Tell me how you really feel, love." He winked at her and grinned broadly. She responded by throwing her glove and bouncing it off of his head. "Ouch."

"You kind of deserved that," admitted the Paratroopa, flapping his wings a bit.

"Mm, that's fair." The Rex leaned closer to the Paratroopa, grinning again. "Would you say that I deserved you too?"

"Bowser's still right there."

"I know."

"Then lay off of Feather Duster, will you?" I folded my arms while Nix slid back into place, now turning his smirk to me.

"As you wish, milord Bowser." He winked at me and stared for a moment. Mario coughed while I raised an eyebrow. Oddly, Nix waved to Mario too.

"Um…my name isn't Feather Duster, sire," whispered Feather Duster. "It's—"

"Cutie pie," interrupted Nix.

"What? No."

"Nix!" Koopella slammed her fist onto the table. "Kamek, why did you even add this imbecile to our line-up?"

"Each of you has a different reason with one common goal," explained Kamek.

"That, and I'm one of the very few Rexes that can fly," gloated Nix.

"So? We have how many people here that fly?"

"True, but I've also got a few tricks to back me up." Nix mischievously grinned. "Though, nothing quite like Sparkles here." He patted Feather Duster, who scratched his cheeks. "Shining Paratroopa, you called it?"

"Yep! When light gleams off of my shell, I can redirect and—"

"Blind the enemy." Nix nodded and licked his lips. "You'll be stunning."

"All right, this should be everyone." Kamek clapped his hands as Nix and Feather Duster moved down, with the others repositioning themselves in their seats.

"Um…Kamek—"

"Give me a minute." He turned to the others. "Before we begin, I just need to check that everyone here is part of this, ah, inner circle, so to speak. Bowser Brooches?"

Each member of the group held out their brooches of my emblem. It was a dark green, almost black, pin, with an orange rim and my insignia colored red. Kamek gazed at all ten of them, held out his own and nodded.

"That appears to be everyone then. As you're aware, this cabal was personally selected and assembled by me to defend Bowser regardless of circumstances and costs. I've determined you as the most loyal minions available among the army, be it that you have a high personal interest in Bowser, or go above and beyond all assigned duties pertaining to him, and so only you are meant to know the king's status to the fullest extent available. As such, it will be you that accompanies the three of us on our journey to Star Hill in order to cure Mario's curse. We'll be up against Shamans, with indeterminate allegiances to both Bowser and Mario, so we'll need to proceed with caution, but nothing drastic until measures against us are clear. You are under my orders, but your interests are always foremost for the king."

Mario and I gawked as we gazed down the table at the ten selected soldiers, each quietly listening and nodding to Kamek's words. These ten? They were Kamek's choice to be my closest guards?

"Any questions?"

Ruby's hand shot up. "Oh, oh! Can we come up with a cool name for this? 'Royal Guard' sounds so played out and overused. We should be something creative, like the 'Bowser Baddies!'"

Nix shook his head. "How is that not generic?"

"Ok, ok, maybe…the 'Bowser Battlers!'"

"You're trying too hard for alliteration," voiced Tech Guy.

"Uh…oh, how about the 'Bowser Monsters?'"

"That's definitely a baseball team," Jasmine recalled.

"…Um, 'the Bowser Bunch?'"

"Enough." Kamek shook his head and pinched his brow. "We don't need a title—"

"No way, we totally do!" Ruby huffed while Olive pushed him back into his seat.

"Regardless, we're getting ready to depart soon, so we'll need to get everything else ready." Kamek returned his pin to his robe and looked over us. "Understood?"

"Yes sir." They collectively nodded and rose.

"Good. Get to the docks then. We'll meet you there."

"'Bowser Loyalists!'"

"Ruby…shut up and go."

One by one, each of them poured from the room, until only the three of us remained. Mario and I stood up, shooting confused expressions to Kamek.

"What?"

"How long have you had this group put together?"

"Planning it, ages ago. Actual assembling was recent."

"Huh." I turned to Mario, who shrugged and nodded. "Well, that's sort of new."

"Eventually, you'll come to like them. Hopefully." He beckoned us to follow as we exited the Council Chamber. "Oh, you know what? Let's test this spell…"

Kamek whipped his wand around and cast a magical dust cloud around us. Mario and I covered our eyes as the sparkling colors flashed around us. Our bodies became weightless and we floated briefly before regaining weight and dropping back to the floor.

The magical cloud dispersed and we gazed around the dockside of the hangar. A large, wooden boat was docked at the end of the pier. I observed it, noting the black sails with my emblem and the figurehead shaped like me at the prow under the bowsprit.

"We're not taking this old thing, are we?"

"Why not?"

"Kamek, we have airships."

"Right, which the entire Mushroom Kingdom assumes to be a threatening sign."

" _Anything_  from me is a threatening sign." I pointed out the sails and figurehead. "Those scream 'Bowser is coming,' and no one at Star Hill wants to see that."

"First, we don't know that for certain. And second, we're sailing for an abandoned harbor at the base near Star Hill."

"Isn't Star Hill closer to Bowser's Castle?" Mario glanced from the boat to Kamek and I.

"When the kingdom was younger, it was easier to reach," clarified Kamek. "These days, it's a bit of a journey, with new locations popping up between…and that a lot of them don't like seeing us." He tapped his wand against his palm and pointed at the boat. "That's another reason we're taking this ship. Not as many people check the waters as they do the skies."

"Maybe, but Kamek, my great grandparents used that." I shook my head. "Just because you gave it a slight overhaul doesn't make it useable."

"You'd be surprised."

"Are you trying to keep the airships here for the Koopalings or something?"

"Considering that we don't know how long we'll be—"

"Then why didn't you just start with that?"

A sigh escaped him. "Sire, we may be gone while Peach's forces bypass the other fortresses. The Mountains and the Skyline need the Clown Cars and the Airship for additional defenses." He ruffled his cap around. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"If there's a chance that happens, then yes."

Tilting his head, Kamek rubbed his chin. "You're usually angrier when someone reports unfavorable possibilities like that."

My eyes shifted to Mario, and then back to Kamek. "Maybe I'm mellowing out."

He looked to Mario and chuckled. "Maybe."

Meanwhile, Mario gazed at both of us, still clueless. "Uh…"

"Don't worry about it." Again, I turned to Kamek. "Give us a minute. I need to see my son before we leave."

"Taken care of."

The old Magikoopa pointed toward the entrance, where the ten soldiers walked behind Junior. He hurried over and jumped into my arms.

"Be careful, Papa!" He pulled back a bit to look at me. "They told me you and Mario were leaving soon. Just be really careful, ok?"

"No worries, Junior. We'll be fine." Again, I embraced him. "You take good care of this kingdom while I'm gone, ok son? Any trouble, send for help and we'll be back as soon as we can."

"Ok. But if the Koopalings are still here, we can handle it."

"I'm sure you can."

Slowly, I set him back down. He hesitated for a minute and then ran to hug Mario, who was startled at first, but hugged him back. "You be careful too!"

"Right. I'll try keeping your Papa safe."

"And you." Junior backed away from Mario. "This is about you too, so protect each other." Silently, Mario nodded and smiled at him, and then me.

Lastly, Junior embraced Kamek. "Bring everyone back home."

"As you command, my Prince." Softly, Kamek stroked Junior's head and sighed. "And hopefully, not from a beating, as per usual."

Junior giggled and backed away. He nodded to the soldiers and walked away, waving us off.

"The Koopalings will keep him safe," promised Kamek. "They're already looking after him."

"But who's looking after them?"

"Between the eight of them, they should be well looked after." He tapped at his wand. "And I'll be in touch whenever necessary."

"Good." Though I wasn't certain about leaving them alone, it wasn't the first time, and I imagined they could manage. I turned to Mario and smirked. "Ready?"

"As much as I can be."

Grabbing his hand and stroking it, we walked down the pier and aboard the ship, with Kamek and the crew in tow. I gazed at the spacious deck and surveyed the Bill Blasters and Skull Boxes that were added to it. Several crates were scattered about, loaded with supplies. There was a cabin that led below deck to the rooms below.

Mario stepped under a mast and gazed crow's nest. A Starman was painted under it and looked withered compared to the rest. I scratched my head, wondering why it would be there when it was usually a symbol of opposition to my kingdom. Our eyes met, but we remained silent on the matter.

After making their final preparations, the soldiers untied the ship, brought up the anchor, and readied the sails. The boat rolled off across the water and we set off for Star Hill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they're off!
> 
> Surprise, people still hate Bowser and are trying to cause him and Mario trouble still. Creeps. Luckily, they work well together as a team, and…I think this is the first time that Mario and Bowser fought on the same side! Woo!
> 
> Another surprise, I finally used each of those named characters! I've been planning this one for a while now, so it's nice to have them come together like a super team or something. Basically, they're a select group of absolutely loyal servants to Bowser, some because they work their hardest for Bowser, and others because they worship him. (Hey, Bowser needed a crew with the ship, ok?) They're not going to be major characters, but they'll help Bowsario while they're in Star Hill. And hopefully have been established or will be enough for people to care.
> 
> Yes, a boat that's called a xebec. (The actual name of the boat is Sail Ship Bowser, probably.) I picked that since the airship is going to be featured later and was featured early in the story, and because I wanted a boat. There have actually been several types of watercraft in the Mario series, but nothing as major as the aircraft. So, behold, ship terminology and usage! (I thought it could be cool…don't hate too hard.)
> 
> While Mario and Bowser are off to Star Hill, we'll be checking in with Peach, Luigi, and friends next time! How will they do, now that Peach is without the scepter? And what exactly awaits them within the Forests? (Spoilers: a fortress! Oho, I'm so clever! …There's more to it than that, honest.)
> 
> That's all for now. Questions, comments, criticisms, and whatever else may be sent through reviews or messages. Feedback actually does feed the story, and I love hearing from you lovely readers, so please let me know what you think! Thank you again for reading!


	29. A Venture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peach, Luigi, and their allies work their way through the Forests, still combating Bowser's Koopa Troop. But how well will they fare without Peach using her Royal Scepter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sit back and clear some time to read! An action packed and emotional adventure awaits! …That's probably overselling it, but cool stuff happens in this chapter. Join Peach and friends as they continue forward!

**[Peach]**

Traveling to the Forests, I had this weightless feeling. Perhaps it was the lack of magic usage, but I wouldn't admit that aloud.

Trees towered around us, with more adding to the scenery, but blotting out the sky and concealing the sunlight. The leaves were lush green colors, with each trunk a bright or dark brown color. I imagined most were deciduous, but I didn't dwell over identifying each singular type down to detail.

Some rocks and dirt mounds of light brown and beige colors were also nearby, as we walked the dirt trails that were surrounded by tall grass. Various bushes were sprinkled between the trees as well, with vines and thorns that slid against tree trunks. Something about viewing these, in spite of crunching leaves, was…relaxing.

"Hey, Peach." I blinked and turned back to Daisy. "You ok in there?"

"Fine, yes." I shook my head and brushed my hair from my face. "Did you need something?"

"No, you're just…really quiet, I guess." Daisy shrugged and placed her hands on her hips.

"Just thinking."

"Ooh, that's dangerous," teased Birdo. "I thought I saw steam coming out of those ears!" If there were, it would more likely be from me getting ready to deck the pink dinosaur.

"Birdo, that's rude."

"Sorry, Yoshi dear."

She scooted close to him and winked, wrapping an arm around him. I don't know how Yoshi could put up with her, but he was at ease as she touched him.

Daisy giggled over the two while I rolled my eyes. Staring back at Luigi, I watched as he shivered slightly and kept gazing behind every plant that caught his eye.

"H-Hopefully there are n-no Treevils," murmured Luigi. "Or g-g-ghosts."

"We'll be fine, Luigi. Just—EEP!" Quickly, I rushed away from whatever poked my back. Pivoting, I noticed it was just a tree branch and sighed into a giggle. "See? You're just getting all worked up over nothing. Like me."

Quietly, he nodded and studied me. "You seem a lot like your old self again."

Silently, I frowned. What was my old self to him? The frail princess who needed some bold, dashing hero? The defenseless girl who begged for rescue from the clutches of the great and terrible monster? The pitiful creature that too many subjects of my own kingdom mistook me for? I didn't need magic to prove otherwise.

"Peach? You're zoning out again."

"S-Sorry."

Shaking it off, I pressed onward, still leading the way. This time, however, I did stay closer to the others as I advanced.

Ahead, Piranha Plants grew from the ground and old pipes, snapping and chomping at nothing in particular. We slowed to a stop and looked around for a way around them.

"Well…we could burn them," suggested Daisy as Yoshi flipped the Item Bag around.

"That doesn't seem necessary," he countered. "They're not launching out and biting at us."

"We're not close enough."

"Let's keep it that way."

"Um." Everyone paused and turned to Luigi. "W-We could comb through the grass and climb that mound over there. It gets us around the Piranha Plants."

Following his lead, we pushed through the grass and climbed up the dirt mound to the right of the Piranhas, evading them.

"Nice call, Luigi!" Daisy patted him on the back while he blushed and scratched the back of his cap.

"Aw, that's nothing. But thanks."

Continuing ahead, we jumped over to some logs sticking out of the ground. A Piranha head abruptly fired up and chomped as we jumped from the first log to the second.

"What the—?!"

"It's a Stalking Piranha Plant," observed Luigi. "They can stretch up to take a bite out of us."

"Ok, this has already grown annoying." Birdo stepped forward, but paused. "Pun intended."

She winked at us while I rolled my eyes before turning back to the Stalking Piranha Plant below. Sucking in a bit of air, she spat an egg at the tall plant. It connected with a sharp blow, knocking the plant down to the ground.

Pushing past us, Birdo aimed and launched another egg forward. Two more Stalking Piranha Plants shot up and tried to bite the rocketing egg, to no avail.

Running forward and into a jump, Birdo flipped into the air and fired an egg down at the Piranha that shot up to meet her. Again, the egg connected and sent the vicious plant to the ground.

Rebounding off the third log, Birdo blasted one last egg at the remaining Stalking Piranha, which slammed against a nearby tree trunk and crashed to the ground.

Leaping forward again, Birdo made it to the next mound and beckoned us over. Exchanging awed expressions, we jumped across and over to her.

"Birdo, that was incredible!" Daisy cheered and gave her a tight hug.

"Of course!" Birdo patted Daisy's shoulder. "We all have to do our part and have our moments, right?"

Across the land, we strolled ahead, where the plateau ended into a darker abyss. Dangling from the higher trees were a few vines. Paragoombas fluttered around over the long chasm.

"Wow," hummed Yoshi. "I didn't think we were that high up."

"Could you Flutter Jump across the whole thing?"

"Doubtful."

My hand grasped the nearest vine. "Then we have one option left."

"Peach, wait." Luigi grabbed my free hand. "This is too dangerous."

"Good." I pulled my hand away from him. "Then we'll have to do our best the first time over, and nothing less."

"But—"

"No 'buts.' Birdo, can you snipe them from the sky?"

"Sure I can." She lowered her eyes and I pinched the space between my brows.

"… _Will_  you shoot them down?"

"Yeah, sure."

Turning to them, Birdo spat eggs out to knock down each of the Paragoombas. We watched all four fall into the dark pit, screaming out as they fell.

"Um." I clasped my hands together around the vine. "Thank you. I didn't think, uh, well, I knew that would happen, but…Birdo, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put that on you."

"What?"

"Well…killing them."

"Oh." Birdo scratched the side of her head, but then shrugged. "It's not exactly my first time, though I do try to avoid it nowadays. War is war though."

Though I nodded and turned back to the vine, her response was almost a punch to my gut. Birdo wasn't even my subject and she did that without any qualms. How many times had I…for the Toads…?

"Peach?" Daisy again. "Do you want one of us to go first?"

"Huh? Oh…no, I'm fine." If she could hear my racing heart, which sped up as I gazed across the pit, she'd know otherwise. I took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled it. Tightening my grip on the vine, I backed up and then ran forward.

The vine lurched as I swung from it, and for a few seconds, I thought it was going to snap from my weight. It didn't, and I flew back near my friends.

Kicking my legs forward, I swayed forward again, this time releasing myself and grabbing the next vine. Two more.

Again, I swung the vine, but when I reached my arm out for the next, I realized that I couldn't grab it. Clutching tightly to the vine, I swayed back and hesitated.

"Come on, Peach!" Yoshi's voice broke out. "Just keep swinging!"

He was right. I shifted myself a little lower on the vine, to get my weight around. Managing to shake it back and forth once more, I reached out and left the vine.

My hands locked around the third vine, and I slowed down a bit. Forcing myself to swing once more, I grabbed the last vine and swung to the cliff awaiting me.

"Phew! Made it." I knelt down and let out a heavy breath I didn't realize I was holding. Looking back, I waved to the others, who jumped excitedly for me.

Luigi and Birdo made their way across next, both surprisingly agile and without error, in spite of being the heavier amongst us. Daisy swung around after them, laughing and screaming during each swing.

"WOOHOO!"

"You're having way too much fun with that!" I had to tease.

"Nah, you just didn't have enough!" She laughed and spun around, jumping from the last vine. Daisy landed and swiftly came over to pat my back. "We'll work on that for you!"

"How—you just…you know what? Fine."

Sharing a chuckle, we pivoted back to watch Yoshi launch from the first vine to the second. He grabbed it and swung himself over again.

However, he launched himself too far, and he missed the third vine.

"Yoshi!" Everyone shouted and our mouths hung open.

The green dinosaur kicked his legs and Flutter Jumped the rest of the way, narrowly missing the edge with his feet.

Quickly, Yoshi's hands shot up and he grabbed the cliff. Birdo and Luigi dove over and pulled him up.

"T…Thanks!" Yoshi panted and slumped to the ground. "That was…was…scary."

"And here I thought Peach was going to have the worst run." Birdo giggled and patted Yoshi while I threw a glare at her. "You're ok. Come on, up."

She and Luigi helped him up from the ground and steadied him. Nodding, they let go and Yoshi stood up straight. I let out another breath and brushed my hair back.

"When you're ready."

"I…I'm good."

"Good. Then, let's go."

We stepped forward, where the trees and leaves grew to darker browns and greens respectively. Even less sunlight could break through the trees, which I hadn't realized was possible before.

Long tree branches made the platforms that we could use ahead, but atop them crawled three Wigglers. They jiggled around as they paced back and forth along their tree branches.

"All we have to do is get past them without angering them," I assessed. "Should be simple enough."

"Famous last words," muttered Birdo.

Carefully, we crept by and each of us climbed onto the first tree branch. The Wiggler had its body turned away from us and we took turns climbing up to the second branch.

Oddly, the next Wiggler simply wandered closer to us, making no hasty motions to attack us. Again, everyone climbed up to the next tree branch.

Waiting for us past the third tree branch was the next cliff to press onward. Though, to get to it, we would have to jump higher, and faster, as the Wiggler was approaching us. This one, though smiling, glanced past us and looked to push us off.

"H-Hey, quit that!" Luigi shouted and pushed back.

"Off, off!" The Wiggler pushed forward again.

"Why don't you  _back off_?!" Daisy ran forward and slammed her fist into the Wiggler's face. "Uh-oh…"

Suddenly, the yellow caterpillar grew angry, and its body flashed to a darker red. Glaring at us, the Wiggler stomped down as we ran past it.

Jumping for the cliff, only Yoshi and Luigi could grab it right away. Daisy, Birdo, and I turned back to the charging Wiggler, now racing across the branch much faster than before.

"Jump!"

The three of us leapt into the air as the Wiggler crashed into the base of the cliff. We bounced off of its body, further angering it, while climbing up to Luigi and Yoshi.

"Is anyone else getting sick of close calls?" Birdo folded her arms together. "Because I am."

"This is kind of the norm for me," admitted Luigi, and he sighed.

Making our way down the cliff, we strolled along to a long, flat log that floated in the river like a raft, held back by a vine tied around the rear. Two Koopa Troopas patrolled across it.

"Hmm…I'll distract them."

"Wait, what?"

"Excuse me!" I stepped forward and waved at the Koopas, walking along the dirt road. They jumped in alarm and readied themselves.

"It's the princess!" One Koopa shouted.

"Grab her and let's get her back to the castle," his companion ordered.

Both came running over to me as I waited for them to get close. Yoshi leapt from the grass along the side, wrapping his tongue around the shell of one Koopa and launching it into the other. They collided and fell into the deep indigo river below.

"Nice shot, Yoshi!"

"Yeah, but you could have warned me sooner." He shook his head and tapped his foot.

"Sorry. Anyway, let's go!"

Together, we boarded the log and Daisy untied the vine. It drifted down the river's current and we sat quietly as we slowly passed through the forest. Waves splashed slightly against the log, and I glanced between it and the plants that we sailed away from. Skyward, only tree branches and leaves were visible, with maybe a ray of sunlight breaching through the top.

"Honestly, I thought we would have passed a flagpole by now." Daisy scooted next to me as I shrugged. "Come to think of it, we haven't found many coins, either."

"We don't have time to search for everything. The faster we save the fortresses, the sooner we can win back land that will help chase Bowser's forces out. Once they're on the ropes, we take the fight to him."

"That makes sense, but…can your Toads keep these forts secured? Can they free the rest of the territories by themselves?"

"It's not exactly a matter of freeing the territory. They just need to keep it occupied until we're finished beating Bowser's bigger threats. Once that's taken care of, we'll work together to restore peace."

"Sounds nice in theory." Daisy folded her arms behind her head. "Guess I just haven't seen it in practice."

"You will."

Sighing, I turned back and watched as Luigi, Yoshi, and Birdo chattered quietly amongst one another. They whispered and giggled to one another, sometimes casting a glance at Daisy and I, to which I turned away, pretending to have my interests elsewhere.

"Really?" Daisy murmured. "You're not that insecure, are you?"

"What? No." My shoulders dropped and I hugged my arms together. "It's just that they seem…so happy, I guess."

Daisy raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. We're usually all pretty happy."

"When we're at parties or sporting events, yes. But during these bouts with Bowser, and when I'm trying to restructure my kingdom, it's just not easy to let go."

"Pressures of ruling, huh?"

"Yes." I ran my fingers through my hair, digging in a little too much and yanking a knot. Wincing, I brushed through it and straightened it out. "Actually, it's not just the usual drama that's getting me down."

"So, what would you like to talk about first?"

"If you're implying that we could talk about melting Mr. Blizzard, no, we can't." Dropping my head, I let my hair cover my face. "I've become some kind of a monster from this."

"Peach, we can't go through life thinking that we can avoid every atrocity that we're forced to face." Even through my hair, I could see her shake her head. "While I get that not everyone has to face a life or death situation, we all end up coming up against some type of confrontation that we really don't want to deal with. But when it happens, it just does. There's no changing it." She let out a heavy breath. "It was a kill or be killed situation."

"We don't really know that," my voice broke as I whispered. "He might not have—"

"It's a risk you couldn't afford to take, plain and simple." My hands shook as I brushed my hair back to see Daisy's calm and reassuring smile. "You're not a monster, Peach. You fight them."

"Is that all I do though?" I glanced back to the river, watching the water flow. "Or do I make them, too?"

"They choose to fight."

"But is it really their choice?"

"Probably not, it's Bowser's."

"And what makes him hate me so much?" Turning to her, I gazed into her deep blue eyes. "Our families have been feuding, but why is he so relentless against me?"

"Because he wants to win." Daisy shrugged. "Seems pretty simple to me."

"What if it's not?" I glanced down at my hands, which I had wrapped together.

"If there were more to it, he would be more civilized about it. Maybe." Daisy giggled. "Honestly, it is Bowser, so maybe he'll just always have that rough and tough exterior."

"Maybe."

My eyes drifted back over to Luigi, and he happened to glance at me. For a moment, we stared at one another, and even from the distance, I could see a tinge of something in them. Was it…fear?

Quickly, he turned away, laughing at a comment Birdo whispered about.

"And now you're wondering about the whole 'relationship reveal' that Birdo dropped on us."

"Well, yes." I returned my attention to Daisy. "It's easy enough to dismiss Birdo, but that wasn't exactly…really, where would something so vile come from? Mario? And Bowser? Especially now?"

"Yeah, it's ridiculous." Daisy sighed. "Look, Birdo's really nice, more than you give her credit for—"

"She's sometimes nice. And other times, not so much."

"To you."

"To Mario too."

"Ok, I'm not going to argue that. She's totally different when I'm alone with her, compared to when you're around." Daisy shook her head. "Off topic. Point is, even though I'm good friends with her, coming up with that silly idea for them to be in a relationship is a little off-kilter, even for her."

"…Wait, wouldn't that make it true?"

"No, I…" Daisy laughed. "What I meant was that it's a little too out there to be believable."

"Is it though? What if Mario and Bowser used me as an excuse to see one another?"

"…Do you have  _any_  idea how ridiculous that sounds out loud?" Daisy lowered her eyes while my cheeks burned a bit.

"Very."

"So…?"

"It's unlikely."

"There you go."

"Fair point, but…well, it's already not common, for two guys to be in love around the Mushroom Kingdom." Twiddling my thumbs, I watched Daisy progressively judge me as I continued to entertain the idea. "And, if Bowser's trying to take over—"

"Peach, please!" Daisy rolled her eyes and laughed. "Bowser is power hungry. That's it. He doesn't love Mario, and he's not trying to take over the Mushroom Kingdom to, I don't know, marry his gay lover. If anything, there's a better chance of him lusting over you."

Shuddering, I swallowed back some vomit that tried to burst from my throat.

"Sorry, that was not a pretty picture for me either. Hopefully I'm wrong and he's completely not interested." She shivered and shook her hands. "Anyway, back on track, Bowser just wants to rule and make everyone do his bidding. Why he's going through the trouble of kidnapping Mario this time is beyond me. It's probably just a new tactic to drive you out of your mind and make you panic."

"Which…is working."

"Nah, if it were, you'd be totally bonkers." She grinned at the small smile that popped on my lips. "You're just fine, Peach. Honest."

"To you, which is great to know, so thank you." I rubbed my shoulders. "Still, I just can't…get over myself, I guess."

Almost immediately, Daisy crawled over and tilted my chin back up to look at her soothing eyes. "Peach, you are fine. We all love you. You are not a killer, and you are not a tool. What you are is an overly stressed princess who's sick of dealing with a tyrant and worried sick over her favorite knight." She winked at the last part, and I didn't have the heart to correct her. "So come on. Keep that smile up and let's keep plugging away until we beat Bowser's butt out of this kingdom."

Nodding to her, Daisy kissed my cheek and ruffled my hair, knocking my crown a little out of place. We laughed and she straightened it back on my head, tilting her fingers around as if she were setting it for a picture.

"Daisy?"

"Yeah?"

"…Thank you."

"Anytime, Peach."

A few more minutes passed by until I noticed something moving around on the land. Narrowing my eyes, I tried to watch the movement of the figure, which was quick. Daisy glanced at me before following my gaze as we both stood up. Something in either purple or black was rushing through the trees. Losing track of it, I suddenly realized that it was actually several things. Just as soon as I did, they all seemed to disappear.

Luigi, Birdo, and Yoshi stood up as we met them in the middle of the log raft. Silently, we observed the trees, waiting to see exactly what was out there.

Abruptly, Daisy shouted, "There! Ninji!"

She pointed to the top of a tree, where a black clad ninja-like demon had thrown a small black orb into the sky. Several more Ninji appeared and followed their companion's lead, throwing similar objects into the sky. After the last one threw its sphere, they all appeared to vanish once more.

Worriedly gazing up, we suddenly found a swarm of Ninji had thrown a cascade of Parabombs into the air, which was now slowly descending down toward us.

"There has to be at least fifty or sixty of them!" Luigi cried out.

"If they land on this raft, we're toast!" Daisy pounded her fist into her palm.

"Or sunk," added Birdo. "Good thing I'm here."

Sucking in a large amount of air, Birdo held her breath for a moment before launching a massive egg into the sky. It connected with a good number of the Parabombs, which exploded above us. However, several more still managed to break through and rain down.

"Still about twenty or so left," assessed Daisy. "But nice shooting, Birdo!"

"Thanks…" Birdo sank to the ground, panting. "Yoshi, could you be a darling and take care of the others?"

"Not all, but I can shave off a few more."

Yoshi jumped up and launched his tongue out, wrapping it around the lowest Parabomb. He then swung it and fired it at the biggest crowd he could, taking down another four bombs.

"Nice work!"

"You're welcome, but that's not going to be enough."

"Daisy!" I turned to her and gazed at her hands, but hesitated.

However, she must have read my mind and nodded. "This would probably be a good time for it."

Pressing her knuckles together, a turquoise glow shined around them, as her Regal Rings lit up.

She then began to move her hands in a circular motion, creating a bubble around them. Water rose up around us and mirrored the motion, creating a barrier around the raft.

The Parabombs connected with the surface of the water shield, splashing into it. Daisy waited as each parachute-cloaked Bob-omb was netted along the outside of her barrier.

Slowly, she moved her hands apart, opening the water bubble. At first glance, we smiled and relaxed, watching each of the bombs dragged safely away from us.

Immediately after, however, we gasped and watched as another flood of Parabombs rained down from higher up.

"Ninji must still be in the trees," realized Luigi.

"Not…for long!"

Daisy whipped the stands of water around, smashing them against the trees. Several Ninji were knocked from them and fell to the river below. We watched closely as the remainder leapt out and scurried away.

With the glow of the rings fading, Daisy let her arms dropped and sighed. "Peach, I can't do that again. It's too much."

"If you don't," I jumped at Luigi's voice, "we're definitely going to be burned. Daisy, we need you to do this."

Looking carefully at him as he rested his hand on her shoulder, Daisy nodded and repeated the motion.

Birdo forced herself up and spat out two more eggs, clutching her stomach after doing so. They both managed to hit marks, taking out at least eight Parabombs total.

Casting the water around us once more, Daisy formed the bubble barrier again, netting most of the Parabombs into it. Three, however, slipped through and continued to float toward us.

Deftly, Yoshi shot his tongue out, twisted it around one Bob-omb, and released it into another one. We ducked down as they burst, the explosion taking out the third.

Moving her hands apart carefully, Daisy dragged the rest of the bombs back into the water, effectively drowning them. She gasped and sank to the floor, panting.

Luigi hurried to her and gently helped her straighten out. "Are you ok?"

"Now? …No." She paused and exhaled. "But…I will be."

She smiled and patted his cheek. I sighed in relief and watched as Yoshi helped Birdo up, who pulled him into a hug.

"Daring rescue, cutie," congratulated Birdo as she pulled back. "Way to go!"

"Ha, thank you!" He scratched the side of his head as he blushed. "You did a better job than me, though."

"Not when those bombs were closest!" She swung his hands around and laughed. "Besides, it's not a contest, dear." More suggestively and with a wink, Birdo added, "Unless you want to make it one."

"Ah…I'd rather not deal with anymore bombs, if possible."

Smiling at my friends, a crash erupted and we flew forward. Picking myself up, I glanced ahead to find that we struck land. I hobbled over and helped Daisy up, while Luigi grabbed Yoshi. Birdo rolled about and forced herself up, shaking her head.

"You darlings just have all the fun in the world, don't you?"

We met her with an agitated group groan, to which she forced out a chuckle. Together, we disembarked our raft and marched onto solid land again. It took my feet a minute to readjust, still feeling the river's flowing current beneath me.

Wandering further inland, the trees appeared much darker now, with the trunks ebony and the leaves truly a dark green. Passing into a clearing, we studied the area around us, which had several sharp planks of wood around, almost forming a fence.

Brusquely, a similarly fashioned wooden gate rocketed from the earth behind us and further ahead of us. We closed together, recognizing too late that we had just walked into a trap.

Luigi sighed. "Well, this can't be good."

Two new voices cackled. "Oh, it definitely isn't!"

Thunderous thuds rumbled and we spun about to fine ourselves across from Boom Boom and Pom Pom.

"Well, well." Boom Boom snickered as he lifted his massive arms from the ground. "Princess Peach and her little friends have arrived."

"They actually made it past my Ninji unit? Bravo!" Pom Pom mockingly applauded us. "You twerps really are a terror, even without Mario!"

"And you two learned how to form whole sentences," I ridiculed. "Fancy that!"

"Her tongue did get sharper, huh Pom Pom?"

"Guess we'll have to teach her some manners all over again." She whipped out a white boomerang with a pink bow tied around it. "The rest of you will have to pay the price for your princess's insolence!"

"Wow, Peach," gibed Birdo. "Way to call it. They did expand their vocabularies."

Angered, Pom Pom tossed her boomerang out at us. Everyone sidestepped it, fairly unfazed as it whirled by.

Boom Boom followed up by extending his arms and whirling around while Pom Pom leapt into the air, seeking a new attack position.

Yoshi Flutter Jumped and hovered over Boom Boom as the rest of us evaded him. Once the lackey slowed to a halt, head spinning, Yoshi promptly smashed down on him.

Crying out, Boom Boom retreated into his shell. I heard a whizzing noise from behind and jumped up as a pink shuriken flew past me.

Pivoting around, I turned just in time to see Birdo stomp on Pom Pom's head. She slipped into her shell and whirled it into the air.

Running as I checked on my friends, I saw Luigi and Daisy jump over Boom Boom's plated shell. Meanwhile, Birdo rolled away as Pom Pom's spotted shell slammed down overhead.

Consecutively, the two popped from their shells to attack again. Boom Boom swung his arms around, forcing Yoshi to double back from his charge.

At the same time, Pom Pom disappeared into a cloud of pink smoke, while Birdo and Daisy ran up beside me. We watched as two duplicates rose from the smoke with her.

Together, we rushed at the three Pom Pom figures, each holding a shuriken. Only one was pink while the other two were silver.

Daisy forced herself down on top of the real Pom Pom's head, forcing her to withdraw within her shell again. Taking a second, I glanced over to see Luigi rocket off of Boom Boom's head as well.

Repeating their early pattern, Boom Boom also returned into his shell and spun around on the ground, while Pom Pom crashed her shell down from above. Easily enough, my friends and I managed to keep away from the slamming shells.

Once the two popped out again, Boom Boom whirled his arms around in a circle again, with fire streaming across the ground as he spun around. Birdo and I had to double back once the flames burst up.

From the fire, a second plated shell raced past us, knocking Birdo from her feet. It bounced against the wooden fence and came back at us, to which I quickly grabbed Birdo and jumped over it.

Watching it speed away, my attention then diverted to Pom Pom creating more smoke duplicates of herself, throwing both shuriken and boomerangs at Daisy, Yoshi, and Luigi.

They managed to flip over her weapons at first, until Luigi tripped. He glanced up and quickly ducked down as a pink shuriken nearly sliced off his head.

Annoyed, I rushed over and jumped onto Pom Pom's head before she could unleash another attack. She cried and fell to the ground, her head spinning.

Letting out a growl, Boom Boom threw up his arms and began to spin around at me again. He had stopped paying attention to Birdo, who jumped up and slammed her feet down on his head.

Groaning, Boom Boom fell to the ground, just as dazed as his companion. Birdo and I locked eyes and nodded to one another. Luigi walked over to me, and he opened his mouth to congratulate me, but instead, it hung open as his eyes widened.

Nervously, I followed his eyes to Boom Boom, who was suddenly swallowed into the ground. Spinning around, I watched the same happen to Pom Pom. Within in seconds, both went under and were soon gone without a trace.

No sooner had the two been taken did the gate ahead fall down. My friends and I met in the center of the clearing, exchanging anxious expressions.

"A-Are we r-really about to g-go f-f-forward?" Luigi shivered as his teeth chattered.

"Unfortunately." I sighed. "We don't have much of a choice. There's no leaving this place until we free the fortress."

Leading the way forward, I made my way out from the clearing, followed by Daisy, then Birdo and Yoshi, with Luigi shakily bringing up the rear.

Our surroundings had changed, but for the worse: the ebony trees had less leaves on them, only to reveal twisted branches. The light from the sky shone through, and it turned out that the sun had set while the moon was barely out now. Even the brown dirt road that we traveled on appeared to be a darker color. A gust of wind breezed past us, and everyone shivered.

"Oh…p-p-please tell me that's n-not the f-fort."

Looking ahead, I stared as an old mansion came into view. It was large, but broken down, with the outside beige paintjob being worn and several windows shattered, with dark red curtains to cover the interior. Even the purple roof appeared to have had patchwork done on it. Sharp, black metal gates were in front of the manor, giving it the perfect horror vibe as the moon glistened upon the terrible structure.

"Well…we haven't seen anything else, and I'm pretty sure this is it," I confessed. Luigi quickly went pale as his knees buckled, while Yoshi grabbed him to keep him standing up.

Clouds rolled in front of the moon, and its soft light was stolen from us as we approached the mansion's dark green door. Ominously, it creaked open before I could lift my hand to push it open. Glancing back at the others, their eyes widened as they fearfully met my own anxious eyes.

Sighing, I turned back and led the way inside. Once all five of us were in, the door harshly slammed shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger again?! Noooo, that has to be the most inconvenient…ok, I've probably had worse. But still!
> 
> It was fun to have Peach and others comb through the Forests and face some natural enemies. I've been trying to use the Piranha Plants and Wigglers for a while, as they're super common enemies, but I also wanted to wait until they fit in with an environment suited to them. Hopefully that paid off, but if not, it was worth a shot. More interesting, however, was the sudden use of Ninji! They're actually meant to be little demons that are either dressed in ninja outfits, or appear to be when that's actually their bodies, depending upon interpretation but usually going with the former. Originally, they debuted in Super Mario Bros. 2, along with Birdo, so they were the fitting selection to attack the heroes, on Birdo's debut run. Also interestingly, though the Parabombs appeared in Super Mario World, Bob-ombs were originally introduced alongside Birdo and the Ninji. Pretty cool, considering that Bob-ombs became a strong candidate for recurring enemies.
> 
> Oh, onto the plot stuff! Peach managed to hold her own even without the Royal Scepter on her! Granted, Daisy was able to help with a big save thanks to her rings, but Peach didn't give any quarter in spite of having much less power at her disposal. And as Luigi rather crudely noted, she is nicer without it, though retains her impulsive spunk that throws her into situations others would prefer avoiding. She's also having a hard time accepting the recent developments around her: Birdo as a teammate, killing Mr. Blizzard, and the possibility of Bowser and Mario dating. Daisy helped talk her out of believing it, but will that last?
> 
> As for the rest of the gang, Daisy fell nicely into her supportive role for Peach, and they had a close moment on the raft. Though she's not as close to Peach as Mario is and doesn't have the cheer that Toadette brings, Daisy does do a nice job calming Peach down. Birdo, meanwhile, gets her fired up, with her playful and sarcastic attitude, but in spite of that, they worked pretty well together! Poor Yoshi had a close call, but managed to have some impressive moments too. Luigi, though making some collected strides, is probably losing his mind in dark and scary places like the Forests. And now he's going into a gloomy old mansion? Bad memories inbound for him!
> 
> Ah, almost forgot about Boom Boom and Pom Pom. They're pretty pesky bosses that the players encounter in Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World. However, they're also not that difficult to beat, so it wasn't much of a fight on their part. It was cool to have them use their stronger abilities before the fight ended. Though I did want to include more attack patterns from Super Mario Bros. 3 for Boom Boom, his recent style was more dynamic and worked better. As for their personalities, well, not much to work with, so they're kind of bullies. And that proves to be ineffectual for them, since Peach and Birdo were taking no nonsense and pitching insults of their own. Ouch. But what's with them getting eaten by the ground? That'll be touched on in the next chapter.
> 
> So, that's it for this time, but we will still be following Peach, Luigi, and the rest in the next chapter. And they don't have Mario or Bowser dropping in? Yuck, I'll need to do something about that. What horrors await the heroes in the manor fort ahead? In spite of having a good handle on the setting, they have no idea what they just walked into. Anyway, wow, that's more than enough from me! Comments and criticisms are welcome, as are questions, so please send them in if you'd like! And again, thank you for reading!


	30. An Illusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peach, Luigi, and their friends enter the mansion fortress of the Forests. Can they overcome the nightmarish horrors that await for them inside? For what they deal with is far scarier than just cackling ghosts…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behold, the new mighty chapter! This monster is one of the longest pieces that I've written for this story, as well as for any multi-chapter story I made on the archive. And it's competition loses by a few thousand words, so…it's very, very long. And no, I very much was not trying to break a record; I just wrote a lot.
> 
> Set aside a whopping amount of time for this chapter, you will seriously need it. Do not, I repeat, do not try to read this like a few minutes before you need to go somewhere; you have a high chance of failure or being late if you do. Just wait until you're free, and then read. Take breaks in between reading this chapter, even; it's pretty formulaic, so you can find good stopping points to put down and pick this back up.
> 
> Ok, that's enough ranting…oh wait! It's the 30th chapter! Woooow! We actually made it that far?! So amazing!
> 
> Um, sorry. That's all now, haha! Anyway, here's the latest, whenever you're ready. Enjoy it!

**[Mario]**

The xebec sailed across the waters, slowly making its way onward to Star Hill, still some distance away from us. Gazing at the glittering stars across the nearly blackened sky, a short gust of wind rushed by. Waves splashed as the boat surged ahead, though I could only take in the faintest whiff of salty scents at the moment.

Though my eyes and body weighed heavily upon me, the ship's bobbing rhythm had kept me awake for an additional hour. Glancing back across the deck, I noticed that only Kamek and Bowser were present this late. The Magikoopa whipped his wand around, casting hexes and spells that flowed around the masts. Nodding, Bowser watched them bounce and spin around the sails.

Turning back, I stared at the wheel, lit up by a few hex shapes that softly steered us. Examining them, I fixated on the red triangle first, which appeared to point and pull the wheel in the directions we sailed. Several yellow shapes were wrapped around it as they steered the vessel. Blue diamond hexes encased the wheel, keeping the others in place.

Shaking my head, I pushed up my cap and brushed my hand through my hair. Several strands cascaded through my fingers, slipping as I pushed my hand across. Even a little bit of air pushing against it was soothing, just to have it blow a little life back into me.

Perhaps it was too relaxing, as the breeze swept my hat from my other hand. It floated down to the deck and rolled across, tumbling along and bound to go overboard. I dashed from the railing and for the stairs, watching as my hat hit a yellow scaled foot.

Bowser scooped up the cap and strolled over with it as I sat down on the top of steps. He leaned over near the bottom, head close to my legs, as he handed the cap back over.

"Lose something?" He toothily grinned, propping his face up with his left hand. I nodded and took the cap back, tucking it tightly back onto my head. "Maybe you should do something about keeping it on."

"It's a fitted hat," I explained. "It'll be fine so long as I don't take it off during the windy ride."

"Is that how it stays on your head whenever you do those ridiculous jumps?"

"Those jumps tend to help me across any terrain with ease, thank you very much."

"Sure, right. It's a fun workout, huh?" He lowered his eyes and his smile broadened as he slid his right arm through the steps, closer to my leg.

"Would you like a demonstration?" I lifted my leg and rested it on his horn.

"…Depends, will I like where this is going?"

"What do you think?"

"Judging by your annoyed expression and tone, I'm pretty sure that I'm good for now."

"Smart."

Grabbing the railings, I lifted myself back up and climbed to the helm. Unsurprisingly, Bowser followed, untangling himself from the stairs and quickly over to my side. He leaned onto his right hand and smirked while I rested on my folded arms. Quietly, I watched Kamek's spells dance about the sails, steadily in rhythm with his wand's motions.

"He's crazy for trying to run the whole ship on his own." Tilting my head, I glanced at Bowser, who watched Kamek with a glint of worry. "Old coot tells me that he'll rest while the rest of the crew works through the morning and noon, but he'll tire himself out before then."

"Kamek's a master Magikoopa," I offered. "I'm certain he'll be fine."

"Sure, but he doesn't have to overtax himself. Not on his own."

"…Is this about Kamek still?" Bowser returned his attention to me. "It's not, is it?"

"It is, but you're right, the same can be applied to you." He wrapped his left arm around my waist and pulled me closer. "It's late. You should rest."

"I'm fine."

"You can barely keep your eyes open."

"Well, it's not like I'm the only one." Behind his big grins, I noticed his lowered eyes, though he tried to cover it up with well-propositioned flirts. "Shouldn't you rest too?"

"Someone has to stay up with him." He gestured Kamek with his head. "Might as well be me."

"Am I interrupting father-son bonding?"

"Oh please." Bowser lightly snorted and gazed at Kamek. A smile crept onto his face and betrayed his external rebuffs. "Besides, he keeps bringing you up."

"Just him?" I grinned as Bowser turned to me with a huff.

"Quit being smart."

"Hey, if I don't get on your nerves, who will?"

"Believe me, you're not the only one." He leaned his head closer to mine, and his warm breath melted through the cold air around us. "You're just the best at it."

"Thought so."

Untwisting my left arm, I raised my hand to stroke his cheek. Bowser moved into it, emitting a light groan as I softly caressed him.

Unexpectedly, he covered my hand with his right hand, holding it in place. His shoulders dropped as his bright red eyes locked onto mine.

"Can you tell me what's really keeping you up?"

"What?" His smiled dropped at my response.

"Mario, I know you love me, but I don't keep you up at night." He sucked in his cheek and thought for a moment. "Well, not always."

"Sure you do. I think about you a lot."

"Well, I don't doubt that. In fact, I like to hear that." He playfully winked and lightly squeezed my hand. "But you're not smiling enough to be thinking just about me."

"You've gotten a little too good at reading me."

"That's what lovers learn to do."

"Yes, I'm learning that myself." He faintly smiled again. "Honestly, it's nothing new. I'm just worrying about the usual problems, about the usual people."

"Your brother, the princess, and your friends?"

"And you." That brought his grin right back, though I couldn't return it. "It's just…I'm worried about whatever's coming. We need to do something to…I don't know, call off all the fighting."

"That doesn't exactly work when your princess is on a rampage."

"We haven't tried yet." I sighed and he seemed to take in my breath, just like I took in his. "We should."

"Maybe." His reluctance was exhausting. "Either way, we can't do much out here." Though I disagreed, it wasn't worth arguing at the moment. The claw draped around my waist tenderly scratched me. "That's not all, is it?"

"Going to Star Hill isn't exactly a nice vacation plan."

"Normally it is." Again, Bowser tugged me closer. "From what I hear, it's filled with romantic views, and folks call it the definitive locale for lovers."

"Is that why you're in such a hurry to get me there?"

"I wish that's all we were going there for."

"Me too." I buried my head into my arm. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize." His nose pushed against my forehead and he nudged me to lift me up. "You didn't ask for this. And we'll get you through it."

"If you insist."

"Whatever it takes."

Bowser planted a big kiss against my face, a little more wet than I expected. Perhaps he tilted too far in, as he pulled back blushing.

"Sorry, that was…I, uh—"

Instead of letting him struggle, I pressed my lips against his, tasting his warmth again. Sloppy, clean, it didn't matter; I just wanted him now. He wrapped his arms around my back and shoulders, while I placed mine on his face, pulling him in closer, as if I could.

* * *

**[Peach]**

Screaming filled the halls as Yoshi tried to clamp Luigi's mouth shut, to no avail. The door slamming behind us had only sent him into a total panic.

"Luigi!" I shouted over his wails. "You've faced literal monsters before!"

"They're not ghosts!" He cried back to me. "Oh, I hate them! They're the worst of all!"

Birdo scratched at her head. "I thought I heard that you got over that fear."

"He can handle being around some ghosts," explained Yoshi. "Ones that are likely hostile terrify him."

"Luigi, you screaming will only attract them to us faster!" At that, he screamed louder. "Cut that out!"

"Please, Luigi." Daisy stepped in and placed her hands on his shoulders. "We know you're no fan of ghosts, but remember why we're here. We need to save the kingdoms and rescue Mario."

"Mario doesn't need…!" His mouth hung open and his wide eyes set on Daisy, but then locked onto me. I raised a brow at him, but he shuddered and shook his head. "Mario doesn't need to ever deal with this! Why is it always me?"

"Just your luck, I guess." Daisy shrugged. "It doesn't help that Mario isn't as afraid of ghosts as you are."

"No one is!"

"Lots of people are." She patted his head. "But not a lot of people have to actually go toe-to-toe with them, and not nearly as often as you have to. So, that's good on your part."

"It'd be better if I didn't have to deal with them at all!"

"But you do. So, face your fears again, like you always do. Because that's what makes you the bravest of us all." Daisy lightly smacked Luigi's face, but then caressed it lightly. "You'll be fine. And we're all here with you this time."

Slowly, he nodded and she smiled. Turning back to me, she nodded as Yoshi hugged the still shivering Luigi. Shrugging, I beckoned Birdo to follow as we turned and advanced into the mansion.

We marched inside, and I gazed around the room. Windows were boarded up, with torn curtains hanging beside them. Wallpaper was torn from the walls, revealing the wooden beams behind them. Desks were scratched or overturned, with some missing drawers completely. Vases were cracked and lamps shattered. And no haunted mansion was complete without unsettling pictures of Bowser and his family that appeared to be watching us as we ventured forth.

"Could this b-be any m-more terrifying?" Luigi shuddered as he glanced around, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"Whee hee hee! Since you asked!"

Overhead, a Boo floated around and cackled at us. Luigi quivered and leapt into Yoshi's arms, trembling at the Boo and sending the quakes through Yoshi too.

"No worries, I can take it," reassured Birdo. She aimed her snout at the ghost, who huddled its hands over its eyes and tried to disappear.

Launching her egg, Birdo's confidence quickly dissipated as she watched her egg sail straight through the intangible Boo, who remained frozen in place.

"That's…that's not ok."

"Honestly, Birdo, what did you expect?" I sighed and shook my head. "They're ghosts. This is literally their signature technique, aside from laughing, and scaring the lives out of people. Literally."

"Well gee,  _princess_ , I don't see you trying to stop the ghosts from harassing us."

"Oh, Birdo, Birdo, Birdo." I wagged my finger and smirked at her as she placed her hands on her hips. "There's only one tactic for dealing with Boos in our present state."

"And that is…?"

"Running."

And with that, I grabbed her hand and raced down the hall, shortly followed by Daisy and Yoshi, the latter still carrying Luigi. Shrilly laughter bounced around the hall as we sped through it, with more Boos appearing and floating around the room.

Rushing to a door more than halfway down, I slowed and grabbed onto it. Thinking that it would open, my mouth dropped open as two Mini-Boos floated out of it and laughed, with the door disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Did that seriously just happen?"

"Forget it, just keep moving!"

We charged further along the hall, ducking down as several other Boos flew at us. Another door awaited us at the end and I scrambled for the door. My hand slipped a few times on the handle as I flailed to open it.

"Come on, Peach, hurry!"

"This is stressful enough, thank you very much!"

Finally turning it, I slammed the door open and we poured through it. Daisy doubled back and slammed the door shut behind us. Panting, we sank to the ground and took a minute to catch our breaths.

Picking my head up, I looked back at the door and witnessed a design on it fading. Catching the last fragments of it, I recognized that it was the symbol of Yoshi's egg. Turning to the green dinosaur, as Birdo helped him up, I shook my head, but glanced between him and the door.

Gazing into the room, I sighed at the darkened surroundings, unable to see anything ahead of us, let alone the walls nearest to us. In fact, I reached out and was unable to feel them, walking further and further from my friends.

"Peach, wait for us!"

Luigi and Daisy ran after me, but even as we traveled together, we could never reach the walls. Turning back, we noticed that Birdo and Yoshi were still not too far away from us, though we must have walked for a good five minutes.

Walking back over to them, Yoshi and Birdo exchanged confused expressions with one another, and then turned their heads at us.

"Why didn't you come with us?" I folded my arms, a bit perturbed.

"Well, we were, at first," explained Yoshi. "But then I walked into some kind of wall that Birdo stepped right past."

"So, I strolled back for Yoshi, but then watched you guys walking in place not too far from us." Birdo laughed. "You looked like you were impersonating Dry Bones."

"Wait, Yoshi, you hit a wall?" Luigi scratched his head in confusion. "How?"

"Really, I'm not sure. And Birdo went right past it, without an issue. Watch."

He stepped forward to where we stood, but then held his hands out. Then, he pushed his hands against the air, as if there were an actual barrier obstructing his path. Birdo strode beside him, walking past him, and then in front of him.

She lifted her hand out and poked his belly, getting a giggle before sliding her hand to his shoulder. Yoshi reached out to retaliate, but had his hand bounce back at him. Daisy and I gasped while Luigi's mouth fell open.

"See? It's…really weird."

Thinking for a moment, I snapped my fingers. "Yoshi, I noticed a symbol on the door, and it was of a Yoshi's egg." He turned around to gaze at the door. "No, it disappeared after we entered. But…it was there for just a few seconds. Maybe the room has a jinx placed around you."

"Why me though?"

"That does seem peculiar," noted Luigi. "Yoshi may have been helping us for a while, but I don't think Bowser has shown a particular interest in him before. Or, not that I'm aware of, anyway."

"Kamek has, repeatedly," I realized. "He must have been the one to help design the spells used against us."

"That makes sense," agreed Luigi. "Maybe if we leave and come back, the spell could be lifted from Yoshi."

"Right, let's try it!"

Returning to the door, Daisy tried her hand at opening it, but it wouldn't budge. Luigi walked over and tried to shimmy it open, but proved equally unsuccessful. Annoyed, the two started attacking the door, punching and kicking at it, trying to force it down, to no avail.

"This…doesn't…make any sense!" Daisy huffed and panted as she placed her hands on her knees, Luigi soon mimicking her motions.

"Maybe I have to do it?" Yoshi stepped forward and tried to reach for the door, only to have his hand bounce back again. "Or…not?"

"Well, the only way we haven't gone is forward," Birdo pointed out. "Might as well."

Following her lead, we marched forward into the room, struggling to see anything. Similar to Yoshi's predicament, everyone walked into a barrier straight in front of us, unable to proceed.

Suddenly, white torches lit up and bathed the center of the room ahead of us. Yoshi whirled back, unpredictably as the only one able to advance. He gave us worried glances, able to see a little back toward us.

"Now what?"

"That's a good start," I called. "Just…keep going. Carefully!"

The dinosaur nodded and took a step forward. He paused and we listened as another set of footsteps came from the other end of the room.

My eyes widened as another Yoshi stepped forward. He was red, wearing blue shoes and looked very glum compared to Yoshi's usual bright face. Stranger still, his eyes were a brighter purple color, much more noticeable than Yoshi's very dark blue eyes. What made it especially odd wasn't only that blue was the dominant eye color among the Yoshi species, but purple ones were extremely rare for them, as well as many other races.

"Mute."

Jerking back from the word, Yoshi and I shared the surprise at hearing the opposing Yoshi speak, only letting out a single word. Turning back, Yoshi appeared more worried than before, jumping again once the Red Yoshi repeated himself: "Mute."

"Who's mute?" Yoshi tilted his head in confusion at his red counterpart. He only shook his head and sadly glanced downward.

Abruptly, the red dinosaur cried out and sank to his knees, clutching his stomach.

"What's wrong?!" Yoshi shouted, trying to get an answer from him. "Please, I want to help you! Just tell me what to Yoshi!"

Confused, I turned to Luigi, who raised an eyebrow at that last part. Yoshi continued to grab and call out to his red counterpart, pleading to help it, we assumed.

But all we could hear anguished calls of: "Yoshi! Yosh Yoshi? Yo Yoshi! Yoshi!"

With a groan, the red Yoshi kicked back and rolled away from our alarmed friend. He whirled around and flailed his hands at us.

"It hurts."

Spinning back around, Yoshi gazed up to see a pink Yoshi step into the lit center next, closely followed by a light blue Yoshi.

"Please," pleaded the pink Yoshi, who yelped and grabbed at his stomach.

"Help," whined the light blue Yoshi, as he mirrored the pink and red ones' actions.

Yelling louder, Yoshi pleaded with the other two, but all any of us could hear was, "Yoshi! Yo Yosh? Yoshi! Yosh?!"

"This…doesn't make any sense," I murmured as the other two Yoshis rolled away and from the light. I turned to Daisy. "Did…did my spell wear off or…?"

"Maybe that's part of this room?" Daisy shrugged. "It could have cancelled the effects of your spell. But that…it's odd."

"Birdo, don't you understand his language?" Luigi turned to her, but she shook her head.

"Yes, but all I can understand right now is his name." She held her arms, pained at being unable to help. "Is…is that what it sounds like to the rest of you?"

"Yoshi!"

We returned our attention to the green dinosaur, who had tears in his eyes. He kept shouting at the four of us, but still we couldn't understand him. A black Yoshi stepped forward next, followed by a white one, and then a yellow one.

"Do something, someone, please," begged Birdo. "I can't stand seeing him like this, or seeing them all…they're…"

"Say something," gasped the white Yoshi.

"You have to, please, now," wailed the black one.

"Please, we need you!"

After the yellow one sobbed out to Yoshi, all three collapsed into each other. They collectively suffered a spasm and groaned as they held up their hands to Yoshi once again. He grabbed for them, but jumped back as stems poured out from the ceiling above. Yoshi's mouth fell open, watching as seeds and leaves mixed in to the mess that flooded his space.

Whirling around to us again, Yoshi opened his mouth and appeared to be screaming again. This time, however, we heard nothing at all. Tears streaming from his widened eyes, Yoshi clutched at his throat, again trying to speak. Realizing that nothing came out, he panicked, and dove at the pile of food wastes, digging to help the buried dinosaurs.

"It's too late for us," a blue Yoshi cried as it emerged. "The Happy Tree is dead. There's no fruit left."

"You need to hurry and help the others that you still can," a purple Yoshi wheezed.

"They need your help," an orange Yoshi managed. "Don't be idle, don't abandon them like…like…"

All three of them began to cough as the green stems and leaves billowed and fluttered around them. They disappeared into the vortex while Yoshi charged to help them, but sank down once he realized he was too late. We watched as the swirling plants flew off into the shadows and cleared away from the room.

Picking his head up, Yoshi watched a brown Yoshi crawl forward. He met the struggling Yoshi and tried to lift him, but failed to do so.

"Famine took us," explained the brown one. "We thought you would come back, but you never…opened…your…"

The brown Yoshi's mouth hung open as its skin suddenly blew away, like dust. All that remained was a living pile of bones, some kind of…Dry Yoshi. Its body shook as it turned to stare at Yoshi, eye sockets emptied, no skin or organs on its body.

All of a sudden, a purple light shined inside of the Dry Yoshi's eyes. It then jumped up and hissed, forcing itself away from Yoshi, before tumbling off into the shadows.

With that, the white torchlight spread, and the rest of the room was bathed in its light. Yoshi gasped and cried, sound returning to his throat.

Luigi was the first to walk to him, approaching cautiously. The dinosaur gazed up through his teary eyes and threw his arms over Luigi, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Why…why couldn't I…?" My eyes widened at his returned speech. Yoshi coughed and wailed, unable to put his sentences together. "What…what did…?"

"Yoshi," Birdo hurried over to him and put her hands on his right arm. "Was there something going on at Yoshi's Island?"

"It…it should be fine," he managed. "But…but…we were running…short on food…"

"There's a shortage? Why didn't you tell us?" I had to ask.

"They-they told me everything would be fine." Yoshi pulled away from Luigi and shook his head. "I was supposed to-to get help after I helped you guys. This doesn't make sense, but now I'm…I'm more afraid of it happening."

Birdo and Luigi tried to calm Yoshi, patting and hugging him as he choked back more tears. Daisy and I shared terrified expressions before we heard a click. Across the otherwise empty room, there was another door.

"We're getting to the bottom of this," snapped Daisy. "No one pulls this crap on my friends!"

She stormed forward and threw the door open. Helping Yoshi up, Luigi and Birdo followed her over, and I went in tow right behind them.

We stepped into the second room and the door slammed shut behind us. I jumped and whirled around.

"Everyone, the door!"

My friends spun around to watch as Daisy's flower crest vanished from the door. Turning to them, they stared at it, then to me, and finally, we all settled on Daisy.

"That's…Peach, what does that mean?"

"I don't…wait." I pivoted to the left side of the room. "Daisy, Luigi, walk forward."

They exchanged looks with one another before complying, walking left. Daisy suddenly bounced back while Luigi stopped short, a few paces ahead of her.

"Oh man, what?!" Daisy rubbed her face. "Yoshi, is this what you dealt with?"

"Looks like it," he softly confirmed.

"Great." Daisy groaned and came back to us. "So, now it's my turn to…what, 'go into the light' or whatever?"

"Unfortunately, it appears so," I deduced. "Luigi, quit trying to keep going, it'll end the same way as the other room did." He shrugged and dashed back over to us. "Daisy, you don't have to. We can try to find another way."

"How?" She glowered at the door. "That one's locked and I can't touch it." Pivoting around, she pointed ahead into the darkness. "And the only person that can walk forward to the door over there is me."

"It can't be exactly like Yoshi's room…can it?" Birdo glanced at us, hoping for someone to contend to the notion as well. None of us could.

With a heavy sigh, Daisy pounded her fists together. "Let's try this then!" Her hands began to glow in a turquoise aura as she stomped forward a bit and tried to cast it out and light the room. A flash enveloped the space around us, and we shielded our eyes.

As it faded, the room went from a bright white to the empty black that we had been in. Frustrated, Daisy threw a punch, with crystals launching from her fist. They flew off, but there was no sound for when they landed.

"When did Bowser's forces learn to counteract us?!" She grumbled and slammed her fists together, but coughed as she tried to use her rings again. "Damn it. I can't…fine, whatever! If they want to try freaking us out with crying Yoshis again, let's see them try that on me!"

Racing forward, Daisy skidded to a halt as blue torchlight lit the center of the room, with bright blue light shining around her. I tried to run forward, but bounced into the barrier, only managing to knock myself backwards.

"Peach, wait." Luigi helped me up, but then held me in place. "What is that?"

Listening carefully, there was a soft, eerie humming. Daisy staggered backwards as a small space craft floated forward. Inside of it, through the window, sat a small purple…alien. His eyes matched his body, a sharp glowing purple, fixated directly on the princess before him.

"T-Tatanga!" Daisy shouted. "What are you even doing here?! Mario got rid of you!"

His shoulders bounced from an unheard laughter. Glancing around the ship, he nodded and reached forward with his finger, presumably pushing a button.

"Coward."

The insult was directed only to Daisy as she stepped back again.

"Coward!" Tatanga repeated himself and burst into laughter. "Look at the petty Sarasaland princess! Trying to prove her worth in front of her little friends, is she? And yet, she never could handle little old me."

"Y-You little creeper!" Daisy thundered and punched her fists together. "You only got lucky the last time you came to my kingdom! I'll destroy you, once and for all!"

"Oh, how frightful." Tatanga cackled into a nasally laugh. "And what, you think your little magic rings can stop me?"

"H…How did you know…what are you?!"

"Your bane."

Letting crystals encase her hands, Daisy charged forward and punched at the small ship that Tatanga laughed within. She punched at it harder with every swing, but in spite of her efforts, not even a dent showed.

"Right, keep throwing punches, that's certainly going to work."

"Shut up!"

"Make me! Oh, right." Tatanga laughed as Daisy punched at him again. "Well, you've had your fun. Now, why don't I join in?"

Clicking another button, his ship began to transform, with it expanding in size. Several more rockets popped out from the rear and bottom of it, with two large cannons emerging in the front.

"Remember my trusty Pagosu, don't you?" He laughed again. "I've been meaning to test it out on you and your little kingdom again!"

"Daisy!" I shrieked and pounded on the barrier that waited for my fists. "Get out of there, run!"

Backing away once again, Daisy rebounded off of the barrier and fell forward.

"No!"

She quickly pushed herself up and readied her Regal Rings again. Tatanga rolled his eyes and made a clicking noise with his mouth.

"Oh, what? Are you going to punch at me again? Face it, little Daisy: you've lost."

"Not yet I haven't, you freak!"

"A wild tantrum and letting name calling mess with your head?" Tatanga shook his head. "What kind of mewling child managed to make her way before me?"

"Quit it!" She growled in aggravation. "Taunting me isn't going to do anything to me, Tatanga! You don't scare me anymore."

"Don't I?"

He laughed wickedly and punched in a few buttons. The ship then began to reform its shape, expanding again in size. Tatanga slipped down from the window as the whole Pagosu ship transformed into a type of battle armor. Unexpectedly, at the top window, or helmet, Tatanga reappeared, but seemed larger within the ship-armor. He now had more fangs protruding from his mouth, and his laugh was even deeper from before.

"Well Daisy?" Tatanga thundered. "Still think you're not afraid?"

"N-No, I'm not!"

"Right, you're just shaking from anticipation…over your death!"

She screeched and covered her eyes. Tatanga raised an arm and readied his cannon.

"Daisy! DAISY!"

We all screamed together as it fired a bright red beam, engulfing the room in a harsh light once again. When it cleared, I sank to the ground, afraid of seeing my friend.

Instead, however, the entire room was coated in the soft blue light. Daisy lifted her head and shivered, staring blankly ahead at Tatanga's absence. Birdo ran over and dropped down by Daisy.

"Are you…wait, that's dumb, of course you're not." She shook her head and hugged Daisy. "We're here. He's gone."

"H…How…?"

Luigi came over and assisted Birdo in lifting Daisy, who continued to gawk ahead at the empty room. All that waited at the other end was a door, presumably leading to another room like this one.

"Why isn't there another way?" Yoshi complained as he scanned the room, unable to find anything else within it.

"Because we're meant to go through all of this," I answered. "And we'll just have to face it head on."

"Then let's keep going." Birdo pointed to the door. "Come on."

Carrying Daisy along with Luigi, the princess shook herself free from their grip and hugged herself. She sighed heavily and waited as Luigi and Birdo shrugged to one another before moving ahead. Yoshi walked after them, but I stopped and placed my hand on Daisy's shoulder.

"That shouldn't have happened," she confessed. "I…he's never coming back. I know that."

"Even if he could, he'd have a lot more to deal with these days," I reassured.

She looked up to me, smiled, and nodded. We stepped forward and went through the door after the others.

Like before, it slammed shut after all five of us had entered. Turning back, we watched a red bow symbol disintegrate from the door. Everyone slowly reared their heads to Birdo, who folded her arms and shook her head.

"I seriously haven't been around you guys long enough to deserve this."

Yoshi stepped forward. "Birdo—"

"Don't." She backed away from him. "I know how it works now. And it's not going to be pretty for me." She sighed and focused on him. "It's nothing I can't handle."

Purple flames lit the torches in the middle of the room. Glaring at them, Birdo strode over to the room's center, pounding her fist into her open hand.

A crash sounded from above and ahead of us. From that, a heavy green figure slammed down in front of Birdo, and she fumbled around with her balance. Steadying herself, she faced down her former employer, and my adversary, the frog demon: Wart. His eyes were…also purple, as he focused on Birdo, not even noticing Luigi or I, just a few feet away.

"Pariah."

Wart rumbled off that sole word while scowling at Birdo. His claws tapped at the golden and ruby pendant that dangled around his neck.

"Excuse you," quipped Birdo.

"Wretched little pariah," boomed Wart. "Where did you think you could go?"

"I went where I wanted, Wart," she snapped. "Just like I promised you. I left you and rest of your warped world behind."

"You think yourself free?"

"Not think. Know." Birdo spat an egg at Wart, to which he caught in his hand. She huffed and flipped her bow up. "I am free, Wart. You can't take that away, and you don't scare me anymore."

"Funny, is there an echo in place?" Wart pushed back his yellow and blue cape, shrugging. "No matter. It's not me that you need to fear, Birdo."

"And you'll tell me what I do need to be afraid of?"

"No need." Wart grinned. "You already know."

"Get lost, you freak!"

Spinning to her side, Birdo watched as a Koopa stepped forward from the shadows.

"Just who do you think you're talking to?"

"The ugliest creature imaginable, that's who," answered a new voice. Pivoting on her heel, Birdo turned as a Toad walked in and folded his arms.

"What kind of a monster are you, anyway?" She spun back to the Koopa. "You don't fit in anywhere."

"Shut up."

"Why? He's right," the Toad continued. "You're too much of a terror to be around Peach's kingdom or the rest of the Toads."

"And you're too soft and stubborn to work with Bowser's legion," added the Koopa. "You just don't belong here."

"So what?!" Birdo whirled her head around, looking from the Toad to the Koopa. "I don't need to be welcomed into either kingdom with open arms. I can make a name for myself in the greater kingdom or beyond! I'm not tethered to any one place."

"But you are," cackled a little rodent with sunglasses that emerged near Wart. Mouser. "Everywhere you go, it's the same; you'll never truly be free from your history."

"No," denied Birdo. "I'm not with any of you. None of you can keep me down!"

"Yesss," hissed a three-headed red serpent that slithered from the shadows. Tryclyde. "Don't you sssee? You're convinssced that you can live without the burdensss of the passst to ssswallow you."

"You think that with the way you look, anyone would ever accept you?" The Toad's ridicules persisted.

"Too good to be bad, too bad to be good," chimed in the Koopa.

"Stop it!" Birdo clutched her head and shook it wildly.

"Now do you understand, Birdo?" Wart let out a low, heavy laugh. "I warned you that no one could ever want you, accept you. You won't survive."

"I…I already have!"

Angered, Birdo spat another egg at Wart, who smacked it aside. It collided with Mouser, who flew back as it exploded upon him.

"W-What?!"

"Surprise, surprise," taunted Birdo. "You haven't been listening. I'm not letting my past anchor me down."

Sucking in a load of air, Birdo launched another egg at Tryclyde, firing it back into the shadows. Though taken aback, Wart laughed again.

"Fair enough. I understand now that the past only bothers you, but it doesn't destroy you like it used to." Wart smirked. "No matter. What does is that you truly won't ever find yourself at peace. However hard you try, there will always been more people that don't accept you than those that do."

"Don't bet on it, Wart."

"He should," snapped the Koopa.

"Because he's right," laughed the Toad.

"S-Stop."

Unnerved, Birdo backed away as the two came closer to her. She spat an egg at the Koopa, who sidestepped it. Annoyed, she launched another at the Toad, who merely ducked.

"Always an outcast," Wart, the Koopa, and the Toad announced together.

"Fine!" Birdo thundered. "So that's what I am! That means nothing! I don't need anyone!"

"Is that what you think?"

"It's what I  _know_."

"A bit repetitious," mocked Wart. "You want to desperately believe that you can live on your own. But your clingy attitude towards potential lovers, the desperate need to fill that gaping hole in your heart, your insatiable thirst for compassion…that will never leave you."

He snapped his fingers, to which the Toad and the Koopa slinked away and back into the darkness of the room. Wart grinned again.

"But yes, I've never grow tired of telling you: that you'll never, ever, truly be free."

"Go choke on a Vegetable."

With a rough chuckle, Wart turned and stomped off and away from Birdo, disappearing. She held her arms together as the purple torches shined the light across the rest of the room.

Quickly, Yoshi darted over to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. She tugged it away and stepped aside. He hurried in front of her, placing both of his hands on her shoulders.

"He's right," I heard her whisper. "I hate admitting it, but he's right."

"No, he's not," insisted Yoshi. "You're not alone."

Her shoulders dropped and Birdo threw her arms around Yoshi, tightly hugging him. He patted her back and held her, not letting go until she moved away first.

"Birdo, how did you handle that?" Daisy wondered. "Wasn't that…didn't it bother you?"

"Daisy, dear, I face similar problems every day." Birdo shook her head. "Just because some illusions walk in here and throw in my face doesn't mean I can't handle it."

"Illusions?" Luigi repeated. "Is…is that what they are?"

"That's what I think they are," surmised Birdo. "Unless anyone has a better explanation?"

"Seems like the best we've got," I decided. "Door's open. When you're ready, let's move on."

Nodding, Birdo stepped ahead and moved forward, with Yoshi and Daisy in tow. Her pacing was sluggish, though, and the others waited behind her as Luigi and I strolled ahead. He opened the door and turned to the rest of us.

"Well, here goes."

He stepped through, and I held the door as Birdo, Yoshi, and Daisy stepped through. Following them, I walked in, pulling the door closed behind me. We walked away from it, only to hear it fly open and slam shut again.

"Sorry, I tried." Everyone shrugged to me. "So, what's…"

An L shaped emblem faded from the door and we whirled back around. Luigi's knees began to buckle as he faced the dark room around him. His face quickly grew pale.

"M-Me? I'm n-n-next?"

"It was either you or Peach," reminded Daisy. "It shouldn't be that surprising to you."

"You can do it, Luigi!" Yoshi cheered for him, walking over and rubbing his shoulder.

"Come on, Luigi," added in Birdo. "If we could face our fears, you can too."

"Do…do I really have to?"

"Yes, you really have to."

Luigi gulped and walked forward, sighing and shaking. From the opposite end, under the green-lit torches, a single Boo flew forward. Everyone readied for it to attack, but the ghost merely floated around, eyes locked onto Luigi. It slowly glided forward and circled him, giggling as it did so.

And then the Boo floated back in front of Luigi, not too far away from him. Faintly, I could barely make it out, the Boo repeated the pattern and uttered a single word:

"Liar."

If Luigi could have gone any paler, I imagined it was right there that he would have. His entire body froze as the ghost cackled and disappeared into the shadows once more.

"Luigi?" Daisy spoke first. "What did it mean by…?"

"I-I…I don't—"

"Again?" He jumped at the familiar voice. "Luigi, how could you do this to me?"

Everyone gaped at Mario as he made his way forward. I wildly shook my head; this wasn't really him, but an illusion. Still, even an imposter of him showing up alarmed me. I could only imagine how thrown off Luigi would be.

"M-Mario?"

"Bottling it in isn't any good for you." He shook his head, purple eyes wavering. "And it's not helping me at all. Don't you understand?"

"No, Mario…I don't."

"How could you not? You're lying to me." He stepped closer to Luigi. "You're lying to them. Worst of all," he focused sharply on Luigi, "you're lying to yourself."

"…Mario—AH!"

Boos, Peepas, and other types of ghosts suddenly burst from the floor and swarmed around Mario. More flew from the walls and ceiling, buzzing around the Mario Bros. Luigi dove for the floor, trembling in fear from the overwhelming influx of ghosts.

"C-Call them off, Mario!" Luigi peeked up from the floor to his brother, who we could barely see in the midst of Boos. "P-Please!"

"There's no way for me to do that," answered Mario. "You know what you need to do."

"I…I can't."

"Then you've failed me."

"N-No!"

The ghosts laughed in shrilly cackles, growing louder as Luigi sank further to the ground. Yoshi and Daisy pounded at the barrier, not to break through, but to get Luigi's attention.

"Don't give in, Luigi!" Daisy kicked at the barrier. "That's what they want. Just hang in there! Get up!"

"The real Mario still needs you, Luigi," urged Yoshi. "Do whatever it takes, please. I know you can do this!"

Slowly, Luigi slid his hands from beneath him. Pushing himself up, still quivering, he managed to rise to his knees and tugged his cap down. Shaking his head, Luigi sprung to his legs, gazing past the ghosts that flew around him. One Peepa crashed into his face, but Luigi plucked it off and threw it away. Steadily, he stepped forward to the Illusion Mario.

"Believe me, Mario." He reached out with his hand. "I won't fail you!"

"Are you sure of that?"

The ghosts poured away from the area, no longer daunting Luigi. Mario, however, remained. Uneasy again, Luigi backed away from his brother.

"You do realize that, when it comes down to it…there's only one way to help me."

"Mario…"

"Yeah, Green. You'll have to give him everything you can!"

A thunderous laughter filled the room. Stomping forward, I grimaced as Bowser walked out. Though…he was wearing…an orange cap? It has his usual crest on it, but the way it was style…was similar to Mario and Luigi's. And…he wore red overalls too. What?

"Wow, he looks ridiculous," Birdo voiced my thoughts. "What exactly does Luigi…?"

She fell silent, and stared at me. I shot her a confused look, but she shook her head and glanced quickly at an equally unnerved Yoshi before they both returned their attention to Luigi.

He backed into the barrier and yelped as he flung himself from it. Bowser stomped forward and locked a collar around Luigi's neck. He pulled the chain from it and dragged Luigi screaming across the floor.

"This…would be more comical, if it…wasn't really happening," admitted Daisy, coughing through a giggle.

"Come on, Luigi!" Bowser laughed, but it was still that nasty one, filled with his burning hatred for everyone. "We've got the same interests in mind, don't we?"

"No, no we don't!" Luigi jumped up and pulled at the collar. He then looked to undo it, only to have Bowser pull him forward and down to the ground again. Looking up, Luigi pleaded, "Mario! You can't just let him do this. Help!"

"It's out of my control, Luigi."

"Face it,  _little bro_ ," chuckled Bowser. "You get to deal with this for life!"

"Oh, please, no…no!" Luigi buried his head into his hands, only for Bowser to tug at his neck again. "Quit that!"

"Make me."

In a burst of fire, the goofy hat and overalls disappeared. The more familiar form of Bowser stood before us, and now he was back to his intimidating demeanor. His visage grew more annoyed, even enraged, and chains launched from the ground, dragging Mario down to the floor as well.

"Let him go!" Luigi yanked on his own collar, only for Bowser to whip the chain around again.

"Never. Again."

"Do something, Mario!" Luigi watched, as his brother remained mostly motionless on his knees. "He can't treat you like this!"

"And who will be there to keep him in check?" Mario lifted his head to stare at Luigi. "Who can stop him, if I'm not around?"

"Me!" Luigi latched onto the chain and tugged it from Bowser, who flailed to hold it. "I will! Mario, I've always got your back! We're brothers!"

"How touching," mocked Bowser. "But let's be honest, you can't even face reality."

"He's right, Luigi," chimed in Mario. "Can you accept this? Can you…live with it? Us?"

"…I…don't know."

"Damn it, Luigi!" Birdo pounded at the barrier this time. "Don't let it tear you apart!"

"He doesn't have to worry about just 'it,'" taunted Bowser as he grabbed the chain again. "He gets to worry about me, too! And that will last for ages to come."

"What does he mean by that?" I asked. "Birdo? Yoshi?"

The two dinosaurs exchanged fearful expressions again, but Yoshi shook his head. Birdo turned to me and shrugged. "The only one who can really explain it is Luigi."

"Somehow, I don't believe that."

"We'll leave it to him," reaffirmed Yoshi.

Glancing at Daisy, who shared my confusion, I gazed back to Luigi, still fighting Bowser for the chain.

"Is there really no other way, Mario?"

"This isn't up to me," repeated Mario. "It's your decision, Luigi."

"Not all of it is!"

"No. But that much isn't in your control." Mario dropped his head again. "This is."

Reluctantly, Luigi sighed and nodded. Dropping his arms, Luigi gave in as Bowser dragged him over to the two.

"Luigi, no!" I gasped.

"Don't worry, Peach." Luigi stared across the room at me and smiled. Then, he turned down to Mario. "We're in this together." Suddenly, he snatched the chain and thrust it away from Bowser. "All of us!"

Wrapping the chain around Bowser's neck, Luigi jumped from him and pulled the mighty Koopa down, as they crashed beside Mario.

"W-Why?!" Bowser roared. "How?!"

"Because…if you're with my brother," managed Luigi, "you get the full package."

"Yeah…but there's only one way to set yourself free!"

"If it's the truth, consider it done." Luigi grappled harder with the chain. "Now, welcome to the big, happy family."

Bowser and Mario wheezed simultaneously before being wrapped into a thick cloud of dark smoke. The room went dark completely once again, but we remained silent.

Then, everything lit up from the green light, brightening the whole room. Daisy ran forward first, sliding down and checking Luigi. His eyes slowly opened as the rest of us ran over to him. Yoshi plopped down quickly and helped Daisy carefully raise Luigi's neck and back.

"Oh, you're ok!" Daisy threw her arms around Luigi and pulled him into a hug. "Don't do that again. Ever!"

"Yeah…not my…intention." Luigi coughed. "Daisy…I still can't…"

"Ah!" She threw herself off of him, pushing him back into Yoshi. "Sorry."

"It's fine. So, not breathing…not fun, huh?" Luigi smirked at Yoshi, and then laughed. "And I thought you would have had it worse by not even talking."

"Nope, you win," lightly chuckled Yoshi, as he dropped himself onto Luigi. "If you're wondering who had it the worst, I'm not sure about that."

"Who cares?" Birdo piped up as she sat down beside Yoshi. "We're not measuring who gets torn apart the most, we're just trying to get through this."

"But…" Everyone turned and stared up at me. "Luigi, that was…I don't know where to begin."

"What do you mean?"

"The last thing you told Bowser? That family bit?" I shook my head. "What was that?"

"Hey yeah," chimed Daisy. "I was wondering that too."

Dropping his shoulders, Luigi looked to Yoshi, and then over to Birdo. Both shrugged to him, uncertain of…I wasn't sure what, exactly. Luigi sighed and looked up at me.

"Peach, it was going to come out one way or another, but…" He shook his head. "I can't keep it in anymore."

"Keep what?"

"Birdo was telling the truth." Luigi pulled his head over his face, exhaling into it. "I can't believe I'm actually admitting to this out loud."

"Admitting to what? Luigi, you're not making any—"

"Mario and Bowser are in a relationship."

My eyes shot wide open as my mouth dropped. Daisy clasped her hands across her mouth, almost mirroring my expression. Yoshi's eyes lowered as he looked to the ground. Birdo folded her arms and nodded. And Luigi…just stared back at me.

"…Please tell me this is a very cruel joke, Luigi."

"We'd be laughing if it were."

The world around me froze as I held in my breath. My arms hung in front of me and I couldn't think of anything else to do. A tear slipped from one eye, and then the other.

One of my very best friends…was truly dating my greatest enemy.

"Y…You're certain?"

"Yes, he's certain," snapped Birdo. "Breathe, Peach. It's a shocker, but the world doesn't end once you know about it."

"Luigi?"

"There's no other way for me to explain it, Peach." He sighed. "It's true."

How?

When?

For how long were they…?

How long did he bury it…or they…?

And they kept it, between Luigi, Birdo, and Yoshi…?

His whole kingdom knows?

I've told him so much, but now he gets kidnapped and…this?

"Peach? Peach!"

Questions continued to bombard my mind, even as Daisy shook me back into focus. I shook my head and stared at her.

"We need to get out of here." Daisy pointed at the door. "And there's only one way forward."

"…Right." I swallowed hard. "Ok, I'm ready. Let's go."

She helped me on, and we followed Luigi and the dinosaurs through the next door.

Silently, I watched the seal on the door fade, my royal crown sigil fizzing and dissipating into the door. I balled my hands together and gritted my teeth behind my sealed mouth. The others kept their eyes on me as I turned around and stepped forward, watching the dark room, waiting.

A pair of yellow torches lit up towards the middle of the room, with my friends and I still within the shadows on one end, and the door obscured along the opposite. Breathing out through my nose, I took another five steps forward, closer and into the light.

Out from the shadows away from me, a hatless and shirtless Mario stepped out. His eyes were lowered, but I noticed they were a purple color, not his actual blue.

Not him.

"Hubba-hubba!" Daisy whistled and laughed. "Peach, your nightmares are fantastic!"

Illusion Mario slowly slipped down his overall straps, and they slid off from his arms. He grinned at me, but not like the usual Mario smile; it was more lustful, his teeth slightly biting on bottom lip.

"Someone censor this, please," begged Luigi.

A hard stomping sounded from the shadows and I winced, knowing that the room was already reading me better than I wanted it to.

Bowser's figure slowed to a halt beside Mario, with matching lowered eyes, again purple, instead of the usual red. His fanged grin unsettled me as he undid his spiked collar and threw it to the floor.

"Wow. Peach, you're into some really freaky things, huh?" Birdo giggled, albeit more nervously than even she probably expected.

"P…Peach…?" Yoshi couldn't manage more than that.

Chuckling, Illusion Bowser lifted his claw and let it crawl along Illusion Mario's back. The monster took his shoulder and tugged him in a little closer. Smirking still, Mario rolled his head against Bowser's arm, and sauntered closer to him. The two moved in close together, but refused to take their eyes off of me.

Then, with Bowser leaning down near Mario's head, they grinned together again, and something about them together was…frightening.

"Tool."

It came from both of their mouths, and they smiled as they uttered. "Tool," they repeated it louder. "Tool." Already, my heart raced. Already, I wanted nothing more from this. Looking back, I couldn't see my friends anymore; obstructed by a shadowy veil, I was on my own.

This room was going to shake my core, or tear me apart getting to it.

Twisting around, Mario began to undo Bowser's wrist and armbands, taking his time getting them off. Roughly, Bowser rubbed his back, scratching it a little bit and eliciting a gasp from Mario, but then he clawed harder. Red claw marks were instantly visible on his back, and my eyes widened in shock. The Koopa King laughed as the wristband fell off.

"Was this what you were always afraid of, princess?" Somehow, his voice sounded more wicked and warped than Bowser's usual voice. "That you were just a pawn in my grand schemes?"

"You're nothing," I snapped.

"He's  _everything_ ," moaned Mario. They let the armband fall to the floor and I jumped from its thud, louder than expected. "I can only be so grateful that you were never interested in either of us. Well…not quite…like this."

Mario slid himself around Bowser's waist, and I choked back the urge to vomit. Bowser bounced his eyebrows as Mario swung around to his other arm, unbuckling the next armband and throwing it down.

"What…what's even motivating either of you anymore?"

"Each other, of course," laughed Mario. "Seeing the fire light up in Bowser's eyes? It's to die for, really."

"Have you never really looked at Mario beyond friendship?" Bowser snorted as Mario took off his last wristband, throwing it to the floor with the others. "He's the strongest and hottest man that you've never given the time of day."

"That…doesn't really answer my question," I argued, though easily bothered by their words.

"Oh, what we're still fighting for? Control, as always." Bowser smirked as he wrapped his arms around Mario, claws digging into his overalls. "Just think, Mario: what could we do, if we controlled the entire Mushroom Kingdom?"

"Whatever we wanted, of course." Again, Mario laughed as he ran his hands over Bowser's face and hair. "It was worth the almost endless charade."

"Calm down, darling," chuckled Bowser. "It'll all be over soon."

"And just what does that mean?"

"Only that the entire Mushroom Kingdom…will come crashing down." Mario grinned darkly at me. "The best part…is that it will be because of you."

"W…What?!"

"Princess Peach," they rang out together. "You have failed this kingdom."

"No."

"It's true."

Spinning around, I watched as Luigi pushed through the shadowy barrier, stepping forward.

"Luigi?! How did you just—?!"

"You've given in to the worst side of yourself, Peach," murmured Luigi.

"We've all watched you do it." Yoshi pressed through as well. "Your capacity to kill, your endless crusade, and all for what?"

"Again and again, you've had the truth thrown in your face." Birdo broke through next. "And yet, time and time again, you only ignored it."

"Where are your closest friends now, Peachy?" Daisy forced her way forward. "Have you abandoned them all on your quest for control?"

"You…you're all wrong! All of you!" I shook my head. "I…I never…this isn't…stop!"

"Peach, your people are dying." I spun around and watched Toadette rise from one of the holes in the floor, from…Bowser's wristband?!

"We've tried our best for you, but that's never been enough." From the other one emerged…Toadsworth?!

"This kingdom is falling because of your actions, Peach." All five Toads walked from the right side of Mario.

"Your family's spiteful laws have carried over for far too long." Junior and the seven Koopalings marched out beside Bowser on the left. Kamek flew in on his broom overhead, cackling above Bowser and Mario.

"Wrong…this is all wrong, all of it!" I clawed through my hair, pulling at it. "You can't all seriously think that I—"

"Peach."

No.  _No!_

From the armbands, they rose up. His short figure, broad shouldered, long red cape behind his decorated white uniform stood on the left, sword buckled under his rosewood belt. She came from the right, tall, in her long white dress, with vermilion designs of mushrooms woven along the base, swirling upward, past her hand that clutched the Royal Scepter. Even though the purple orbs clouded them, I could see the bright blue irises behind them, under their blonde hair and golden, toadstool shaped crowns, piercing straight through me. Clear as they day they…left.

My parents. The King and Queen of the Mushroom Kingdom.

"This…this isn't real."

"You've failed us, Peach," my father shook his head. "We're so disappointed."

"You've failed the kingdom," agreed my mother. "We expected better from you."

"N-Neither of you are here!" I shrieked and pulled harder on my hair. "You're not!"

"You failed," sang my parents along with Mario and Bowser.

"You failed," echoed my friends behind me.

"Princess Peach," everyone sounded from around me, as if the whole kingdom arrived to deliver the same message to me. "You have failed us all."

"ENOUGH!" I bellowed and threw my hair back. I glared at my parents "So what if I haven't lived up to your expectations? Fine! You left me impossible standards!" Glowering past them, I pointed to Mario and Bowser. "You two think you can get away with me being your pawn? Fine. But I refuse to let you take over this kingdom! And…and I refuse to let you break me!" Whipping around, I stared at my friends. "We…we've still got work to do. You think I've failed? That means we all failed."

Stepping forward, I held out my arms. "I'm not the perfect little princess you've all taken me for! I'm not without fault, and I've done terrible things. But I refuse to let this kingdom burn by my feet! I will continue ridding my kingdom of Bowser's forces. I will free this land, whatever it takes! And then…and then…things need to change."

Slowly, I sank to my knees as it settled in. "Because…I've…my rule hasn't been perfect. But…neither were many other things around me. And…I need to figure out just what went wrong. Because…I'm not the only one who made mistakes." I looked up and ahead, staring at my parents, Mario, and Bowser. "We…we've all made mistakes, haven't we?"

They remained motionless. I stared at the collar in the ground before me, which was empty, void of someone to rise up from it. Suddenly, shadows bubbled from inside of it, and a crown rose up, followed by blonde hair. The rest shot up in a pink blur, but I didn't need to look carefully to understand a mirror when I saw one.

Staring ahead, I locked eyes with Illusion Peach.

"Am I complete failure?" I asked myself. "Is…there no hope for me?"

"If you continue down the path you're on," the illusion explained, "then you have truly doomed the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Then…what do I do? Everything I just ranted about, was that—?"

"Weren't you watching Luigi's test? Didn't you watch any of them?" She shook her head. "You need to solve this on your own. But don't believe you're actually alone."

My heart sank as my eyes winced, tears streaming from them. In a bright yellow flash, everyone disappeared from around me and I threw my hands out to break my fall. Staring silently at the ground, I shivered.

"Peach? Peach!"

Daisy, Luigi, Birdo, and Yoshi scrambled around me, all four of them resting their arms on me, talking and trying to calm me down. They shook my body slightly, and I could tell they were speaking to me, but…I couldn't…even process…everything.

* * *

**[Luigi]**

Ten minutes later, with Peach still stuck on the ground, I stood up and sighed. Daisy brushed tears from her eyes and folded her arms. Birdo spat another egg at the wall, making a mess in her anger. Yoshi tugged on my arm and pointed at the door.

"We have to finish this," he quietly persisted, and he made sure that Peach, nor Daisy, could hear. "It's the only way to get Peach out and home."

"But what if it's not?" I shook my head. "I thought the magic from her scepter made her insane, but this place did a heavy number on her too."

"Maybe it was a combination of the two?" Yoshi suggested and shrugged. "After all, she still must have traces of it in her system."

"I guess." Sighing, I nodded. "You're right. The only way we can deal with this is if we get her out of here. Grab Birdo." He nodded and hurried over to Birdo as I stepped to Daisy and Peach. "We need to move on."

"Luigi, she's in no condition to fight whoever's coming up," argued Daisy. "And not for nothing, but I'm still plenty exhausted from these fear-induced landscapes."

"You're right, and I don't like it either, but we can't stay in here," I contended. "Peach will only continue to suffer if we don't get out of here soon. And we still need to free the Forests either way."

Daisy gazed up at me, and then nodded. "Fine, but we need to keep a sharp eye on her."

"We will, but I'm counting on you to take the brunt of it."

"Not a problem." She slowly helped Peach up from the ground, as she stared blankly ahead. Behind her sharp blue irises were clouds of purple in her eyes. "I won't take my eyes off of her, but I'm counting on the rest of you to end this."

"Absolutely."

"Are we ready yet?" Birdo marched over with Yoshi in tow. "I'm seriously ready to crack an egg over whoever is in the way between us and our exit."

"We're ready." I smirked and nodded. "So, let's-a go!"

"…Luigi?"

"Yeah, Daisy?"

"Don't do that."

"But…ok."

Together, we approached the door at the end of the room. Instead of the usual smaller doors, this one was a larger, studded blue door. We opened it and marched inside, with Daisy helping Peach through.

The hall didn't feel as long as the other fortress halls had, and we reached the room in little time. Perhaps it was just my sense of urgency.

Inside, a blank portrait waited at the end of the black and blue room. Something smashed down behind us and we whirled around to see a chandelier had fallen.

"Whaheheheh! So, you managed to make it this far! Impressive, I suppose!"

Shivering from the familiar voice, I swallowed hard. Appearing from thin air, a large Boo floated around. His eyes were bright fuchsia, with a purple aura glowing around his otherwise white body. The blue tongue stuck out beneath his teeth, twisted into a terrifyingly delighted grin. Atop his head was a golden crown, with small red and blue jewels inside of it, and a large violet jewel, possibly an amethyst, sat inside of the crown.

King Boo slowed to a halt and waved his tongue at us. I had a very desperate desire for my Poltergust to suddenly appear on my back.

"Well, well! So, it is Luigi and friends, here to face me directly!"

"Yeah, and we're here to…wait. D…Directly?"

"Oh, haven't you pieced it together, yet? Take a closer look at your vacant friend."

Turning back and staring at Peach, my eyes widened as I glanced over hers. All of the fear illusions' eyes, the darkness…it was so obvious, in hindsight.

"It was you!" I barked. "You set the entire mansion up yourself! You conjured those illusions, and locked doors! This was all your doing, not Kamek's!"

"Very astute, as expected," cackled King Boo. "Just one minor detail incorrect: I only cast the jinx to terrorize you and your friends with whatever you feared the most. Whatever illusions appeared before you? That was your own doing, your fears."

"You're a monster!" Daisy thundered.

"Well, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't!" King Boo let out his heavy laugh. "But come, this boss battle has dragged on long enough! Surrender now, and I might just turn you over to Bowser."

"Turn us over…aren't you working for him?"

"Eh, we kind of, sort of have a deal." King Boo shrugged with his small hands. "But, let's be honest, I want my own dose of revenge." He swirled his tongue around and nodded. "Actually, scratch the deal for you, Luigi. Your friends can go to Bowser, if they cooperate, but you? You're mine!"

"Then forget it," snapped Yoshi. "We'll take you down here and now!"

"Um…Yoshi?" Birdo whispered quietly to him. "He's a Boo. We can't hurt him like this."

"…Oh."

"Hang on a second." Daisy smashed her fists together, and turquoise lights bubbled around our hands. When they faded, each of us had our own crystal gauntlets. "The crown is probably the source of his power. Break it."

"W-What?!" King Boo hissed. "How could you possibly—?!"

"Royalty knows as royalty does," deadpanned Daisy. "Is your tongue a weakness too?"

"…N…No?"

"Guys? Wreck him."

"Gladly."

Quivering, King Boo tried to float away from us, his crown glowing as he attempted to summon our fear illusions. Birdo punched through a cloud that resembled Wart, while Yoshi zipped past the Dry Yoshi. I jumped over the Bowser illusion, and smashed down in front of King Boo.

"N-Now, wait a second!" King Boo nervously cackled. "We…we can talk this out, right?"

"Yeah…no."

Birdo hopped forward, pulling on King Boo's tongue before launching it into the ghost, who bounced around the room. Yoshi grabbed me, and then Flutter Jumped into the air as King Boo slowed to a halt, dizzy and dazed.

Tossing me over, I reached out and latched onto King Boo's crown with one hand. Raising the other, I threw down a heavy punch. It cracked, and I pounded it again, further breaking it.

"W-Wait, please! Bowser will—"

"Thank me later."

Slamming my crystallized fist over it one last time, the jewel shattered between the crown and the aura around King Boo faded. He yelped and fluttered around, wailing in agony.

"You…you fools! Do…do you have…my connection with it…?! ACK! It was latched to me! AAAHH!"

Squeezing his eyes shut, King Boo flew through the walls and away from the mansion. Several Boos and other ghosts flew away after him, with the group disappearing into the Forests.

"Ok…that's taken care of." I sighed. "How's Peach?"

"Mm…Lu…igi?"

Everyone hurried over to Daisy and Peach, as the latter shook her head.

"What…happen…?"

"Sh, rest Peach," soothed Daisy. "We'll sort everything out later."

"Is that it?" Birdo questioned. "We saved the Forests?"

"For now, yep," chirped Yoshi. "That makes our fifth fortress saved, right?"

"Yeah, it does."

I nodded and smiled, looking out the window at the end of the room. Everyone strolled over to watch the morning sun as it rose over the treetops.

* * *

**[Meanwhile]**

Toadette and the five Toads hurried across the Dark Lands, covered by the rocks that appeared to burst from the earth. They navigated their way across the terrain, sticking to the shadows and closer to the caves as they neared Bowser's Castle.

"Is everyone ready?" Toadette turned to the other five, who nodded back to her. "Ok, good. Peach gave us the mission to save Mario once again. And this time, we'll not only have to rescue him, but make sure that he stays safely back home." She inhaled sharply and slowly exhaled. "It's up to us now. So, let's get to it!"

Though quiet, the five Toads cheered, and they followed as Toadette carefully guided them over to Bowser's Castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there. Hey buddy. You doing ok? Make it through all those words? Congrats, then, congrats!
> 
> Ooh, so…fear induced chapter for the heroes. Yeah, I…I really wanted to do that. It seemed like a way cooler boss fight than just ending bit with King Boo getting slapped around by the heroes. Instead, he one upped Mr. Blizzard with the "messing with their minds" approach, terrorizing the heroes with their darkest fears. So much fun. (And I didn't kill the boss this time! Yay! …One time, geez.)
> 
> Hmm? The beginning with Mario and Bowser? Oh what, I can't have special little bits for big chapters? I wasn't going to have the 30th chapter and not include Mario and Bowser for real. Because…their illusion versions weren't exactly…um…yeah. See? Wasn't that nice? We started off with something cute and then a little humor, and then...
> 
> Good gracious, Yoshi's fear zone. I…I went ultra dark there, for Yoshi. Famine. I couldn't think of a big enough adversary that Yoshi would really be thinking about; Baby Bowser is all grown up and he's used to dealing with Kamek. So, what would really freak Yoshi out? Depleted food sources on his island. Yeah. Whoops. Poor little guy.
> 
> Daisy's was pretty obvious, if we remember her talk back with Mario from…Chapter 18. Um…yeah, that's not at all memorable, so…she hates Tatanga. A lot. Unsurprisingly. But, she's also worried about being afraid of…well, everything, deep down. And you thought Luigi had it bad, ha! He…he still does, actually.
> 
> With Birdo, I didn't want to have her fall miserably to her fears, after traumatizing both Yoshi and Daisy pretty badly. So, Wart wasn't her true fear, but the whole "being an outcast among everyone" was. Yeah, Birdo really doesn't fit in too well with people…anywhere. And, she still has her past with the 8 bit army from her past career as a villainess. Yikes. But, she managed, as she does face the fear of it every day…which could actually make her illusion a reality, thus all the more terrifying. Oh…oh, oops. Sorry.
> 
> Luigi's…was so obvious going to use ghosts. I couldn't resist, I'm sorry. That Bowser in-law junk though? Now that, come on, that had to throw you for a loop, right? Yeah? No? …Ok, whatever, I tried. But yeah, I wanted to finally break him to the point where he'd confess about the relationship being true, validating Birdo's earlier claims and…basically breaking down Peach (and Daisy)'s earlier rebuffs to the relationship. Sorry ladies, but you were wrong! Guess they haven't seen this update on the archive enough times yet.
> 
> Speaking of Peach, oh man…hers was chaotic. Of course, I had to start it with a warped vision of Bowsario, because that's totally foreign to Peach. So, her picturing it being a thing was, well, as twisted as she thinks of it. Her overall fear is that she's afraid of being everyone's pawn and failing her kingdom. And, while not completely fulfilled, she kind of has been used by Bowser and Mario, to be their opportunity to interact with one another. And…well, since she took down Mr. Blizzard and dabbled in magic, Peach hasn't been…well, she hasn't failed her kingdom yet, but she's playing with fire. (Not literally, for once.)
> 
> But wow, Peach's parents! I actually went there! That was…that wasn't a very, I don't even know. It was fun trying to give her parents, since Peach had to come from somewhere. They're pretty much original characters, with the King being loosely inspired by the Mushroom King that Nintendo has never bothered to use since…wait, have they ever, besides comics and manuals? Huh. Well, that. Worth a shot.
> 
> As for the zonked out Peach at the end? She was the most overwhelmed by her fears, surprise. But really, you try thinking clearly with a chorus of people telling you that you failed an entire nation. Because even entertaining that idea scares me. So yes, Peach was ultimately the most susceptible to King Boo's magic. Luckily, she had her friends around to help save the day! And didn't bring her Royal Scepter, which…might have proven to be a bad mix. Hehe.
> 
> Ok, that's enough from me. If you have any more questions, send them my way, along with any comments or criticisms. Reviews and messages are the best method to share stuff with me! And I could really use them since, well, it's been pretty quiet lately. But really, those are super appreciated, even if it's just a single line of commentary and you don't think that's good enough, because it actually really is.
> 
> Anyway, I say it a lot, I know, but this is the 30th chapter, and that's a big milestone for me, so thank you all very much for reading this far! Yes, 30 chapters of a gay romance story between Bowser and Mario. And astoundingly, gay marriage is now legal in the US, so, hey! Cool story, right there! Again, thank you all for following this for so long (over a year now, huh?), and I hope you'll continue to read on! Thank you all!


	31. A Perversion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toadette and her band of Toads have arrived at Bowser's Castle, in hopes to rescue Mario once more. However, they have an unfortunate surprise waiting for them instead…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time now for a different type of chapter: following the Toads! We're all very excited, I know, so let's get right to it. And no, it's not as lethally long as the last chapter, honest. Even still, make sure you've got the time to read it!

Down a dark and craggy road, the six Toads travel to Bowser's Castle. Carefully, they make their way into the volcanic region, as they dash behind rocks and broken into pairs as they did so. From behind a massive stone, Toadette peeks out and lets her mouth fall open as she gazes up at Bowser's Castle, now directly ahead of her and the others.

"Wow, I can't believe we avoided detection so far!" She jumps and twirls around to Red Toad, as he strolls up alongside her. "Princess Peach would be so proud that I've done this twice now!"

"No need to show off, Red," mutters the Yellow Toad as he approaches, the Green Toad following him. "Peach would be proud of all of us."

"Will be," corrects the Blue Toad as he and the Purple Toad arrive, rounding off the group. "We still need to get our job done, and that's getting Mario back again."

"Oh, don't be a buzz-kill, Blue."

"He's just being realistic, Yellow, which I agree with." Purple Toad nods, smiling. "Besides, if Red could do this all by himself last time, think of how easy it'll be now."

"I sure hope so," cuts in the Green Toad. "Purple and I don't go out enough to keep up with this stuff."

"Relax, Green," soothes Red. "You've done well this far, and we'll continue to make it through this. Together."

"Right!" The other Toads nod together, flashing each other grins.

"Great, now let's plan this infiltration again. Blue?"

"Well, we should be able to get through the broken back entrance, which is their structural weakness that Red left last time."

"Right, and then after that, Green and Purple can run the distraction routine that we practiced out on the way here. You know, with the Triple Jump and the combined Spin Jump, which should throw them for a loop."

"Yellow, are you sure that one will work? Green was a little…well, green, after we ran it."

"Ooh…I'm already getting queasy thinking about it again."

"Settle your stomach, Green, we need to nail this!"

"Ok, Pink—"

"No." Toadette's voice drops as she glares at the other five Toads.

"What?"

"Look, you five may enjoy your color coded names, but I absolutely refuse to be called something other than my actual name." She folds her arms. "I don't need a code name, especially nothing as lame as 'Pink.'"

"But…colors are cool. You promised you'd use them."

"For you five. Not for me."

"Aw…"

"And while you're busy worrying about silly nonsense like that, you're all failing to see that the plan is flawed miserably." Toadette sighs and bops her braids around. "Acrobatic jumping won't distract Bowser's forces; they'll attack us like they attack Mario, who does the same thing."

The five Toads sit in silence, dropping their heads at Toadette's argument.

"The only way we're going to be able to handle whatever comes up for us in that castle is by taking an offensive approach." She dug inside of her vest and pulled out the Fire Flower that Daisy had given them. "And the best offense is making sure that we have a good defense when needed."

Exchanging looks, the five Toads nod and huddle around Toadette. She lifts the Fire Flower as the others grab hold of it. Enveloped in a glowing flash of light, it lingers a bit before fading.

Toadette glances down at her clothes, now red instead of pink. Her braids retain their pink coloration, but now have red spots instead of the usual white ones. Studying the others, each Toad is also dressed in a red vest and pants, with each of the mushrooms on their heads now taking the color of each respective Toad. Only Red Toad has white spots on his red colored mushroom, whereas the others have the usual red spots.

"Now we're playing with fire!" Purple Toad cheers as the other four clap around him.

"Focus, everyone," calls Toadette. "We need to move quickly now, since it's probable that at least one of Bowser's forces saw that transformation flash." They nod and begin to move, but Toadette yelps out. "Remember! We still need to exert caution and stealth! This is only in case we need to fight, not to give us the permission to take on Bowser's entire army!"

Nodding again, the Toads hurry around the perimeter of Bowser's castle that's nearest to the ground and away from the lava moat. Finding the crack that Red Toad had created last time, the six Toads huddle close together as they enter through the small hole one at a time.

Entering the stony basement, with the lava still flowing beneath them, the group presses onward, following as Red Toad leads them through his path. They navigate their way to a stairwell that leads up to the main level, walking through the dungeon corridor to get there. The prisoners and the guards are sound asleep as the six Toads creep through the room, careful not to bump into the jailers.

"There are a lot of prisoners in here," murmurs the Blue Toad. "That's really unusual, even for Bowser on his worst days."

"Yeah really!" quietly chimes in Yellow Toad. "There are Magikoopas, Lakitus, Shy Guys, Goombas, Koopas, Fuzzies, and…even a Sledge Bro. is in here! …But no Mario."

"Should we let them out and use them?" Everyone turns back to the Green Toad, who shrugs. "What? It's an option."

"We can't take the risk," counters Toadette. "If we let them out, and they're just as much our enemies as they are Bowser's, if not more so, we're toast."

"She's right," agrees Red Toad. "And we won't need them anyway, honestly."

They move forward, heading to the exit directly ahead, but Red Toad rushes ahead and stops the group.

"Hang on! That leads directly to Bowser's Throne Room."

"So we'll need to be extra cautious," quietly muses Blue Toad. "But if it leads to an opening at all, there will definitely be guards, won't there?"

"Worse, it might be Bowser or one of his kids." Red Toad pauses and gives a sideways look to the others. "Um…the Koopalings are Bowser's, right?"

"Honestly…I keep forgetting," admits Purple Toad. "They're all equally terrible though, so does it even matter?"

"Fair point," agreed Red Toad. "Anyway, there's a window nearby we can sneak out of. If we climb around outside, we can probably evade detection from the sentries in the throne room."

"But what about the ones outdoors?" Toadette folds her arms. "They'll definitely have someone posted out there."

"Hmm…last time, I had the Sneaky Parasol and used that by this point." Red Toad places his hands on his hips and taps his foot. "Well…we'll have to do it carefully."

"We need to be quick though," whispers Yellow Toad. "They'll catch us easily if we try to do this one by one."

"Luckily, Toads are light on their feet and speedy all around." Blue Toad nears the door. "We don't have enough time to discuss this all day, and the more we talk, the more likely it is for the guards in here to wake up."

"Point taken. Let's go."

Slowly opening the dungeon door, the Toads sneak out in a single-filed line, Red leading. They slip past the throne, which Lemmy and Larry are sleeping on. The patrol units around the room don't notice the six as they climb out the nearest window and begin crawling across the windowsills.

They traverse the side of the castle, navigating past the length of Bowser's Throne Room. Toadette glances backwards to see that a Spike guard is walking around the courtyard as they climb across.

"Quicker, guys; let's go!"

Making their way to the corner of the wall, they jump through a window that leads to the hall outside of the throne room. Wiggling out of the collapse Toad pile, Toadette pops up to watch the Spike guard walk past the window and back to his position further down the courtyard.

"Phew."

"Hey, what the…who let you in?!"

In alarm, the Toads scramble out from one another and whirl around to find a Koopa and a Rex that were guarding the Throne Room from outside. The sentries turn to face the six Toads.

"Sound an alarm!" The Koopa instructs to the Rex. "We've got Peach's army invading us! Go!"

"Oh, no you don't!"

Running forward, the Koopa doubles back as the Blue, Yellow, and Green Toads rush him, attacking with a barrage of fireballs. The Koopa dives back into his shell as they roast it, the floors, and the walls nearby.

Meanwhile, the Rex attempts to flee while Toadette chases him, with the Red and Purple Toads following her. They jump up and rain a stream of fireballs down on the Rex, singeing his wings and some of the decorations.

Spinning around, the Rex jumps into the air and tries to stomp down on the trio, who leap back to evade him. They retaliate with another flood of fire, burning the Rex's feet this time.

Writhing in pain, the Rex fails to escape as Toadette jumps up and stomps down on his head, squashing and contorting the Rex's body.

Popping from its shell, the Koopa ducks back in as the Toads attack him again. He spirals around and bounces off the walls, attempting to reach the Rex.

However, Purple Toad leaps through the air and stomps down on the Koopa shell, stopping it in place. The Koopa emerges and attempts to fight back, only to get hit with a fireball from the Red Toad. Again, the Koopa slips back into his shell.

Green Toad runs over, grabs the shell, and throws the Koopa into the Rex, slamming the two into a wall. Both fall unconscious and slide to the floor.

"Nice work!"

Toadette smiles to the other five Toads, but all five jump at the sound of footsteps approaching. Grabbing their fallen foes, they race down the hall and duck behind the corner, with Blue Toad peeking out to watch Iggy and Roy chattering to one another walk to the Throne Room.

"What are they talking about?"

"Sh! I can't hear them from here."

He watches as the two pause and they notice the burn marks on the floor and walls. They look around, stepping closer toward the Toads. Blue jumps and pulls himself back behind the wall, hiding with the other Toads.

Stifling their breathing, the Toads wait as they hear the Koopalings approach, huddling together and holding their breaths.

"It might have been Bowser, right?" Iggy questions Roy.

"Nah, this would have been here before." A punch is thrown against the wall, causing the Toads to panic and pull closer together. "And where are those idiot guards?!"

"Probably on break again, like they shouldn't be." Iggy sighs. "This is part of the reason Bowser's plans fail so often."

"Tell me about it. Come on, let's go check on Larry and Lemmy; hopefully they're ok."

Eyes wide, the Toads continue to suppress their breathing as the Koopalings walk away from them. They wait and listen as the doors to the Throne Room creak open, and after a minute, slam shut.

"…That has to be the luckiest break possible!" Green Toad manages to break the silence, just barely.

"We need to move, fast, before they come back out," advises Blue Toad.

"Well, Mario was held upstairs last time," explains Red Toad. "He might still be up there. Come on!"

The Toads hurry back across the hall, following Red Toad as he charges through the castle halls. Everything blurs into stone grays and tapestry reds past the squad as Red slips around the walls, stopping short and redirecting himself as need be.

Another pair of Spike guards awaits them around a corner, who jump up and ready spike balls to attack the Toads.

They launch the balls as the Toads roll away, spreading out. Green and Purple run forward and toss out fireballs, but one of the Spikes dodges them.

The Spike charges forward as the two Toads leap back, with Blue and Yellow throwing a torrent of fireballs in their place. The Spike yelps out as it burns from the barrage, falling to the ground.

Backing up, the other Spike attempts to flee, but Toadette and the Red Toad slide in front of their opponent. The two toss out another stream of fire, to which the Spike bounces away from.

However, the Toads swarm and trap the second Spike in a hexagon shape, blocking his potential escape routes. It quivers as the Toads assault him with more fire, blasting it down to the ground.

"Perfect!" Yellow Toad pounds his fists together. "Let's keep this up, get Mario, and hurry up out of here!"

Red Toad smirks and leads his friends through the halls again, as they charge around corners and blaze past doorways.

The sextuplet whizzes down another hall and finally reach the stairwell. Red opens the door and nods.

"It should be this one. We'll climb all the way up and get to Mario."

"Hopefully, they weren't smart enough to move him," murmurs Purple Toad.

Scrambling inside and shutting the door behind them, the Toads jump up the steps and ascend. They quickly make it up more than halfway when they suddenly hear the doors from the top fly open.

"Oh no!" Green Toad gasps and the other Toads' eyes widen.

"Come on!" Toadette runs forward. "There must be something we can do…!"

Though terrified, the Toads surge forward, readying to face the newcomers. However, Green Toad trips and slips into the center of the stairwell, falling through an opening.

"Green!"

"I'm ok." He shakes his head and glances around a dark room. "What is this place?"

"No time," hisses Red as he pushes Yellow and Blue into the room. "They're coming!"

Purple Toad and Toadette rush in after the other four and close the door most of the way, hiding in the shadowy room.

Through the crevice, the six Toads watch as Morton and Ludwig walk down the steps. They reduce their breaths as the Koopalings stop, and Ludwig spins around.

Backing away from the door, the Toads clump together, bump into an object behind them, and cover each other's mouths to hold in their yelps.

"Wendy, come on, already!" Ludwig groans and leans against the wall next to the door. "How can you be so slow?"

"Hey, stairs and heels aren't exactly best friends, you know!" Wendy yells as she lumbers down the stairs. She approaches the other two and places her hands on her hips. "You boys don't need to worry about these problems."

"You choose to wear heels, Wendy!" Ludwig snaps and tugs on his hair. "No one, not even the Koopas, wear heels on a regular basis! It's not practical!"

"No, it's fashionable."

"Ugh!"

In annoyance, Ludwig barrels down the stairs, while Wendy and Morton watch. The larger Koopaling turns to his sister.

"Um…would you want me to carry you?"

"Morton, that is completely rude and totally inappropriate to ask a lady!" She throws her arms together and glares at him. "You can only carry one if she asks you to, not if you offer yourself! Honestly, that's nearly barbaric."

"Uh…sorry?"

"Fine, only because you're my brother." Wendy snaps her fingers. "Now hush up and carry me down. My feet are sore already."

"But…" Morton exhales heavily. "Yes, Wendy."

Picking her up, Morton carries Wendy down the stairwell, neither noticing the Toads in the veiled doorway.

Waiting as the footsteps fade down the stairs, the Toads slowly emerge from the room. They continue to wait a moment before shrugging to one another and proceeding to the top of the stairs.

Cautiously opening the door, they check the upstairs hall and glance around. Not spotting any threats, the Toads stroll out and press forward, studying the rooms.

"They're definitely here, right Red?" Blue Toad turns to his red counterpart, who nods.

"There's nowhere else they could keep Mario if he's not already in the dungeon."

"It's a castle," mutters Yellow. "He could be anywhere else besides the places we've been already."

"Hush up; they're the most likely."

"But what if Mario isn't here, then—?"

"Enough, just fan out and let's check the rooms," orders Toadette.

Each of the Toads breaks into pairs and they check the doors down the hall. Purple and Green Toad jump back as a few mops and brooms crash down from the closet.

"Why would they even have this many?!"

"This is Bowser, we're talking about," soothed Purple. "Why does he do anything that he does?"

"At least some things make sense!"

"He kidnapped Mario instead of Peach.  _Twice_."

"Ok, not lately, but still!"

Blue Toad and Yellow Toad opens another door, peering inside of the room. Blue turns on a light, Yellow gasps, and the two quickly slam the door shut.

"What is it?" Quickly, Purple and Green hurry over to the others.

"Nothing! He's…definitely  _not_  in there!"

"Guys, he's probably in one of these two." Red points at two different doors. "One is Bowser's room, and the other is an extra room. Mario was in both the last time I was here, so he's probably in…" He opens the door for the extra room, finding nothing. "Ok, he's definitely in Bowser's room then."

Toadette throws the door open and scans around inside. "Nope, Mario's not here either. Bowser's bedroom actually looks pretty nice, though."

"Well, he does live in a castle; something had to."

"Wait, but Mario has to be here!" Red Toad shakes his head. "Where else would they bring him if not here?"

"To be executed?" Everyone spins around and glares at Green. "…What? This is Bowser, remember?"

"Let's not think like that, please," begs Toadette.

"We didn't look in this room here," Purple points out and opens the door. "Um…it looks like a kid's room?"

"That's Bowser Junior's."

"Oh. That explains the mess and painfully neon green paint job."

"If Mario isn't here, nor the dungeon, and not in the throne room…" Blue pauses as he makes a mental checklist and thinks. "Is there anywhere else that Bowser would bring a prisoner?"

"We could check the roof," offers Red, "but I don't see why he'd be up there."

"Either way, we'll need to find another way to navigate the castle, so let's check."

Climbing the next set of stairs to the top, the Toads walk outside and glance around the roof. They stare blankly at a table left for two at the edge, set for a sight that captures the sky.

"Huh. Is…why…ok, what?" Purple shook his head. "Look, I did already mention Bowser not making sense, but…why would this even be here?"

"Uh, well," mumbles Green, "we know he goes after Peach, so…"

"Oh, Green! Gross!"

"Hey, guys, quiet down."

Toadette hushes the two. as she and Blue get closer to the roof's edge. The other four Toads exchange confused expressions before following the pair over, silently listening.

"…So, what exactly are they doing over there, anyway?"

Barely, the six Toads peek over the side, glancing down at a Paratroopa and a Fly Guy chatting with one another.

"Beats me. I just know Bowser was all quick about it." The Fly Guy shrugs. "He made it seem really important that Mario get there as soon as possible."

"Wow. I mean I knew that there was something going on, but…to go there?"

"I know, right? I wonder how serious it's getting."

"Between the two of them? I guess it's always serious."

"Good point." The Paratroopa stretches. "Hey, thanks again for helping me clean up. I have to pick up a lot of slack since that Feather Duster left."

"No problem; it beats being target practice for the kid."

Watching the two fly further down the castle and out of sight, the Toads worriedly look at one another.

"Something serious?"

"They're not even here?"

"Why did Bowser want to take Mario anywhere, anyway?"

"Could he be in danger? Wait, it's Bowser, of course he's in danger!"

"What do we do?"

"Keep calm, let's just—"

"Oh," interrupted a new voice. The Toads spin around to find a white robed Magikoopa standing before them. "By all means, you can panic now."

Before the five can launch any attacks, the Magikoopa flicks his wand and ensnares the six in a binding spell. The Toads shout and cry out as hex shapes dance around them, forcing the six closer under the spell's circling motion.

One hex zaps Yellow, who yelps and jumps forward. Another jolts against Green, forcing him to do the same. Soon, the six Toads walk forward in the swirling spell vortex, avoiding the hexes to the best of their abilities.

"Where's he forcing us to go?" Blue asks as the group continues forward.

"Back the way we came." Red points ahead, and the Toads notice stairs before them.

Gradually, they make their way back through the castle, descending the stairwells and maneuvering through the hallways. Though they travel, the Toads are unable to see past the spell's bindings, only able to watch as the fluorescent enchantment shapes dance around them.

"How much further?"

"Depends on how far the dungeon is, I guess."

Eventually, they come to a halt. The Toads watch as the spell dissipates, revealing the seven Koopalings sitting around the throne.

"That will be all." Ludwig flips his hair and shoos the Magikoopa, who does not leave immediately.

"Are you certain? They can be crafty—"

"He told you that's enough," snaps Larry. "So buzz off!"

Nodding, the Magikoopa bows and strolls out of the Throne Room. The six Toads watch him leave, and spin around to face the Koopalings. Toadette steps forward.

"What do you want with us?"

"What do  _we_  want?" Wendy scoffs. "The question is: what do  _you_  want? You six twerps snuck around this castle."

"We want Mario back!"

"So it was another rescue attempt." Morton nods to Iggy. "Good call."

"It was obvious they would come running back for him." Iggy adjusts his glasses. "They're delusional, the entire lot of them."

"Delusional?" Green Toad pounds his fist. "We're trying to save our friend!"

"Did you ever consider that he doesn't want to be rescued?"

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

"Not nonsense at all, actually," chuckles Larry. "Your precious hero isn't all that you make him out to be."

"Quit it!" Toadette shouts. "You're not messing with us that easily!"

"Yeah, you're just annoyed because just one of us outsmarted you last time," taunts Red Toad.

"Please! You got lucky."

"Is there even enough room in the dungeon for all six of them?" Lemmy rolls a ball between his hands. "It's pretty crowded lately."

"If you think we're sticking around for that," challenges Yellow, "you've got another thing coming!"

"Heh, who knew Toads even had guts?" Roy laughs and the others join in.

"We've got more than that," murmurs Blue Toad as he and Red light up fireballs.

"Oho, are we going to do this the hard way?" Roy smirks as they Koopalings brandish their wands. "Because we like it like that."

Fireballs in hand, the Toads launch a barrage at the Koopalings, who cast their own fireballs to cancel the attacks.

Roy charges forward, rushing over to tackle the Toads. They leap away, but Roy rebounds and chases after the Red Toad.

Morton soars into the sky and crashes down, issuing a shockwave out at the remaining Toads. They're forced apart as they separate to evade the attack, and Morton pursues the Purple Toad.

Wendy casts her scepter and launches three golden rings from it. Toadette carefully studies the movements of them and jumps through the middle, twirling between the holes of each ring. Growling, Wendy steps back as Toadette lands.

"You miserable little pest!" Wendy readies her amethyst-tipped wand again. "Larry! Come help me deal with this fungus freak!"

"As you wish, sis."

Charging a light blue fireball, Larry lobs it out from the amber jewel. Toadette rolls back and springs herself over his spell, launching her own fireballs at the two Koopalings. They cry out as the attacks land.

Iggy and Lemmy stand before the Yellow and Green Toads, who toss out fireballs at the two Koopalings.

"But can their balls break mine?" Lemmy waves his emerald rod and summons a bouncing yellow ball to intercept the fireballs, blocking the Toads' assault. "Ha! Guess not!"

"Lemmy quit playing and help me stop them." Iggy points at Lemmy's bouncy ball, which rolls away from the group.

"Ooh, ok! This will be fun!"

Twirling around, Lemmy jumps up and casts a larger bouncing ball below him. He springs above it and whips out another two.

The Toads gasp as Iggy jumps onto the first, then the second, and finally fires out two green fireballs from his rod's golden gem. Panicking, the Toads attempt to retaliate, but take the hits and lose their Fire Flower powers.

"Hang in there, you guys!" Blue Toad manages to call out as he jumps away from a trio of blue fireballs.

He attempts to get to the other Toads, but Ludwig blocks his path. "You've got a lot worse to deal with than they do."

"That's what you think!"

"It's what I know."

Blue flames emit from the sapphire gem as Ludwig summons another triad of fireballs, forcing the Blue Toad to run about and dodge them again.

Red Toad runs up a wall and kicks off of it, stomping down on Roy's head. The sunglasses slip on his face as he groans into a growl. Whirling around, Roy shoots a magenta fireball from his onyx-jeweled scepter.

Not spotting it right away, Red Toad skids to a halt from his follow-up attack. He tries to move, but instead gets hit from the fire blast, losing his Fire outfit.

"Funny, this feels like a repeat performance."

Again, Roy charges forward and smashes into the Toad, throwing him across the room and crashing into the far wall.

"Red!" Purple springs from Morton's head and attempts to chase after his fallen friend, only to jump back from Morton's spinning shell. "Again, seriously?"

"What happened to all of that bluster from last time?" Morton chuckled as he tapped the ruby head of his wand in his free palm. "Something about outsmarting and outrunning me, right?"

"…How does that little brain even remember what happened last time?"

"Simple." Morton pulls back the rod and whips it forward, grinning as the pink fireball flies forward, and blasts the Purple Toad before he can react. "I cherish the fights I win."

Jumping up and performing a Ground Pound, Morton watches as the Purple Toad goes flying off and crashes near Red Toad.

A ball bounces past them as Iggy and Lemmy pelt Yellow Toad and Green Toad, knocking them down near the other two Toads.

"No!"

Toadette kicks off of Larry's head and flips through the air, evading another ring attack from Wendy. She throws a fireball at the Koopaling, who sidesteps it. The fireball rebounds and hits Larry once again.

Blue Toad takes a hit from one of Ludwig's blue fireballs, falling over and grunting from the attack. His Fire powers disappear as he turns and watches Toadette land on another blue fireball, losing her powers as well.

"What now?"

The two Toads watch as the seven Koopalings surround them, wands at the ready. Blue Toad frowns and drops his head.

"We're done for."

"Don't give up!" Toadette nudges him and gets him to lift his head. "We can still get through this!"

"Wake up and do the math, Toadette." He sighs. "We've got all seven Koopalings right here."

"Then let's finish them off, right here and now!"

"Bold words, little girl," laughs Wendy. "But playtime is over."

Toadette readies to fight the seven, but is abruptly hoisted into the air by Blue Toad. She cries out as he leaps up, dodging four different fireballs.

"Blue, don't!"

"Just run!"

He throws the pink Toad across the room, taking a hit from Wendy's ring and several blue fireballs. Toadette shrieks as she watches Blue plummet from the sky, as she crashes down past the throne.

She rises to fight, but jumps behind the throne as another barrage of magic fire is launched at her.

"Run Toadette!" She gasps from Red Toad's weak call. "Get out of here, quick!"

"He's right!" Yellow Toad coughs between his shouts. "Just get back home!"

"Yes, run back home to that old steward." Ludwig laughs. "Go tell him how you and your little friends failed your kingdom!"

"I'm not leaving—!"

"Don't make this entire trip for nothing, Toadette!"

"Peach still needs you! Go!"

Tightening her fists, Toadette charges from behind the throne and smashes the dungeon door open, rushing inside. She kicks the door shut to block the soaring rings and fireballs.

"Hey!" A Koopa guard jumps up as the dungeon returns to life from its slumber. "Hold it right there!"

Glaring, Toadette surges forward and stomps down on the Koopa, slamming him to the ground and bouncing off as the other guards attempt to grab her. She slides to the hole in the wall, squeezing through it and running from the castle.

Morton throws the dungeon door open and glares as a Shy Guy guard helps up the fallen Koopa. Wendy and Ludwig step behind him and glance inside.

"Well don't just stand there!" Wendy stomps her foot. "You two guards! After her! The rest of you, get up and watch the prisoners!"

The guards salute as they follow their orders. The three Koopalings watch as they fail to press through the crevice that Toadette fled from.

"She escaped," murmurs Morton. "Should we order more soldiers after her?"

"Ooh, yes, let's!"

"No." Ludwig pats his wand on his free hand. "We'll let her go, run back to tell her princess of her little squad's failures." He turns back out to the throne room, watching as Larry and Lemmy toss the Blue Toad at the other four. "One of them needed to be the messenger."

"We didn't need her free to tell the princess of how terribly she and her little friends failed their kingdom."

"Not that," realizes Morton. "We want her to understand the threat that we're posing is real. Right?" Ludwig smirks and nods. "Thought so."

"Peach and her friends are undoubtedly challenging King Boo as we speak," surmises Ludwig. "And with that magic scepter that the princess carries, they'll either fall quickly or absolutely destroy the ghosts."

"And the other princess," adds Wendy. "She has magic rings, too." She pauses as the three meet up with the other four Koopalings. "They're definitely defeating King Boo, aren't they?"

"Worst case scenario? Yes."

"That means we're up next," notes Iggy. "Aren't we?"

"Good!" Larry pounds his fists together. "I'm ready to take down that princess once and for all! And her little friends, too!"

"It's not going to be that easy," warns Ludwig. He turns and smirks at the five Toads. "But…we've got a nice incentive for them to come after us."

"Aw, we're keeping them?" Lemmy sighs and puffs out his face. "That's no fun."

"Nah, it's a good idea," intervenes Roy. "Killing them will only provoke Peach and the others to fight harder against us. We need to play this smart and sneaky."

"Mario's definitely not going to like this, though," realizes Iggy. "And if he doesn't, that means Bowser won't either."

"What won't they like?"

The Koopalings exchange horrified faces and whirl around as Bowser Junior enters the throne room. The young prince spots the fallen Toads immediately.

"Three, two, one," counts Larry. "And—"

"What happened?! What did you guys do?"

"They invaded, your highness," defends Ludwig. "We did what we needed to protect the castle."

"Are they even breathing?"

"Yes," clarifies Wendy. "For now."

"Papa's not going to like this." Junior shakes his head. "Neither of them, actually."

"We realized that," admits Morton. "But we needed to stop them."

Thinking for a moment, Junior nods. "Ok, but…what are you going to do with them?"

"We're taking them with us when we go to the Mountains," explains Roy.

"But you only need to do that if King Boo doesn't stop—"

"Kid. He won't."

"…Oh." Junior drops his arms and frowns. "Well…will you guys need me to help?"

"No, Junior, Lord Bowser needs you here." Iggy wipes his glasses and shakes his head. "Besides, you'll be bored while we fin…uh, stop the princess and her friends."

"Fine, but don't overdo it without Papa's ok!" Junior folds his arms. "You guys play rough sometimes."

"Relax!" Lemmy laughs and rolls a ball around. "We kept those other clowns alive!"

"…Others?" Junior's eyebrows rise up. "Those…soldiers from the Games?"

"…Oops."

"Your highness, don't worry about anything," soothes Ludwig. "We have Bowser's best interests in mind. These Toads will be fine, for the time being. And once we've stopped the other forces from the Mushroom Kingdom, the rest will be up to your father on how we proceed."

Junior studies Ludwig's face, as he carefully looks him over and into his dark eyes. He sighs and reluctantly nods.

"Ok. Just…be careful with everything. And don't leave until Papa gets back!"

"Of course not, little prince," assures Wendy. "We'll explain this to him as well before we leave."

"…Good."

Gazing once more at the Toads, Junior nods and exits the Throne Room. The Koopalings bite their lips as they exchange nervous expressions with one another.

"Did we really have to lie to the kid?" Roy lifts his sunglasses and brushes his eyes. "He's going to hate us for it."

"As will Bowser, should he find out the wrong way," adds Morton.

"He's exactly that: a kid," argues Larry. "He doesn't need to know exactly what we need to do. We're protecting him."

"Are you sure about that?" Lemmy shoots his younger sibling a quizzical look.

"It doesn't matter, that time has passed." Ludwig turns to the unconscious Toads. "Iggy, get the new cages ready for them, and keep them hidden from the rest."

"Yeah, you're lucky I've been working on that," mutters Iggy.

"All we need to do is keep this quiet and get out before Bowser's return," reiterates Wendy. "Just play nice for Junior until then. How hard will that be?"

Her brothers worriedly glance at her and one another, offering no answers.

Far off from Bowser's Castle, Toadette continues to sprint away. Once she's clear from the menacing lair's view, she slows to a stop and plops down beside a boulder. Clutching her stomach, Toadette pants and gazes down at her hands, scathed from the battle.

"How do I even begin to explain this to Princess Peach?"

Her question goes unanswered, as Toadette huddles herself together. She lets tears slide from her eyes as she gasps and shudders. After a couple of minutes, she coughs and forces herself back up from the ground.

Dragging her feet, Toadette wipes her eyes to clear her vision, and sets down the lonely path for Peach's Castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor little Toadette, and her team of Toads. They got nailed.
> 
> So yeah, I was looking to have a little infiltration chapter with the Toad squad, which was pretty fun to go through. They're not exactly in the primary or secondary portion of the cast, but I figured they deserved a chapter for themselves. With…disastrous results for them, unfortunately. (Though, they put up a pretty good fight, for what it's worth! And Blue was fairly heroic at the end…perhaps they all were.) Maintaining their color coordinated names was a bit of a chore, but I realized that it could be one of those little things that people want to know, which may or may not casually pop up later. Again, they're not the most important characters, so it's not a priority. Nearly calling Toadette "Pink" would have been funny, though!
> 
> Meanwhile, the Koopalings are revealed to be the next bosses that Peach and friends will fight! I guess that's not very surprising, but their capture of the Toads might be. Though, it's certainly not in favor of Bowser's (or, more importantly, Mario's) desires, as this will not go over well with Peach or her friends. At least they tried to please Junior, somewhat; they do care for him, possibly more than they do Bowser. And the Koopalings were fantastically brutal against the Toads, so…perhaps they've got it in them to stop Peach once and for all? It'll be some time before that face-off is decided though.
> 
> Peach and her friends are on their way back to her castle, but now Toadette will be the harbinger of the traumatic events that transpired. Which…only adds to the pile of woes that the Mushroom Kingdom's heroes have been enduring, considering what they went through. Fun stuff, huh?
> 
> Next time, however, we'll be tuning back in to Mario and Bowser as they finally arrive at Star Hill. What awaits them and their allies? Only time will tell you that one! …Well, and me, but eh, details. Any questions, comments, or criticisms, send them over! Reviews and messages are welcome and very much appreciated! I haven't been getting as many lately, so…hum. Hopefully everyone is still reading! If so, thank you once again for following!


	32. A Haul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario, Bowser, and company finally arrive at Star Hill! Will they be able to handle the warm welcome wagon?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my word, we're finally getting back to Bowser and Mario! Hooray, at long last! (It's not like they're the main characters or anything, right?)
> 
> And guess what else is here? STAR HILL! (I announce that like it's a really big or exciting location…or something.)
> 
> Apparently, my new standard for writing chapters is not shutting up until there's just a wall of text across the page and stretches really far down. This is the trouble of writing something, stopping, coming back, stopping, and then going again; you pick up so much more to write about, and you forget which parts to scale down.
> 
> Um, I mean, this is a long chapter again, so beware! Lots…LOOOTS of things happen in this chapter. Arriving in Star Hill is just the beginning, really.
> 
> But, that's more for you to determine than me to explain. Though, I must give a few more notes of caution: numerous original/fan characters pop up here, which they have before in the story, but are in bulk this time. Also, I use more material from the RPG/Paper Mario games than I have before, so there's that. And a tinge of questionable violence, though no mentions of blood.
> 
> Now! With all of that out of the way, set a good amount of time aside and read ahead! Also, enjoy!

_It just happens: I'm standing in the gold and pink halls of Peach's Castle, which is abnormally deserted. Stepping through cautiously, I wait for someone to coming running out. A Toad has to be around here, somewhere, I'm sure._

_Pausing at the fallen banner, I inspect it, and look for something out of it. But it just looks like someone did a shoddy work with hanging it up. With nothing in my way, I walk forward across the carpet and push open the large doors to her throne room._

_My jaw drops open as I stare inside. The room is charred, and the pink and golden walls, what's left of them, are practically blackened. They're knocked in around the throne and along the sides, with shattered window glass and rubble across the floor. The sky is dark and cloudy, totally visible, but I'm not sure how early or late it actually is._

_Stumbling forward on the shredded carpet, I spin around while I take it all in. Columns are cracked or outright broken. I stare out at the trees that flow in a distant gust of wind across a grassy field; nothing else looks quite as dismantled as here. There's some glass that I sidestep and continue forward, to the still standing throne. It's still golden and rose, in tact, but…mysteriously vacant._

_That is, until he steps out. He still has his usual attire on, but it's torn up in a few spots: the blue overalls are ripped up, his shoes look scuffed, there's at least three holes between his two gloves, the cap is slightly tilted and his mustache looks just a bit…ruffled, I suppose. An odd addition is the long, dark cape that trails him, black on the back, and red on the inside._

_"Mario?"_

_He smiles, but it's odd. It's more of a smirk, with his eyes lowered. The passion behind them is missing and I'm half-expecting some type of smart remark to follow it. But his lips part just a bit, and his teeth light up his grin…that, somehow, doesn't help put me at ease._

_"Hello, Your Highness."_

_"Highness?" If the sight wasn't so devastating, I might have outright laughed. "Mario, you don't need to call me that."_

_"Why not?" He bows, and then walks forward, lifting grasping my hand. "You might as well enjoy the title, for all it's worth. After all…you've won."_

_"Won? Won what?"_

_"The war, of course." His eyes seem to glow up a bit now, but…not like the soft blue I'm familiar with. I don't understand how to explain it. "You've finally done it."_

_His voice is lowered, not in a whisper, but like it's between smug and…seductive? And, considering the environment, that's absolutely inappropriate for him. I shake my head and frown._

_"When? How? And why are you—?"_

_"Yes, you. It was all thanks to your best efforts." His hands slide up my arm, and up my chest. "My Lord Bowser, we've won, all thanks to you. We're free."_

_The way he tells me this…doesn't make it rewarding, but I'm not exactly displeased to hear it. My hands slip around his waist, and I force a grin._

_"Great, just…when did you agree to it?"_

_"Always, after we sorted things out with me."_

_"Wait, when we what—?"_

_"And I'm delighted that we've finally went through with it." His grin is a bit more, uh…wicked now. "They never stood a chance."_

_…They? No, he wouldn't have._

_"Who?"_

_"Peach and her foolish friends, of course."_

_He…would?_

_"Um…remind me, what happened?"_

_"We conquered them. Resistance was met, but ultimately useless."_

_"And…" I glanced back around her ruined throne room. "…Where are they now?"_

_"Come now, Bowser." His eyebrows lift briefly, which made him a bit scarier. "You always keep your enemies close."_

_Looking past me with a smirk, I turn around and see Princess Peach chained up to the wall next to the throne. She…was she there before? She turns slightly and glares at me, yanks her chains, but goes limb right after._

_Along the wall adjacent to her are the others, all unconscious…I think: Daisy, their Yoshi pal, some Toads, and…wait, and his brother? …Luigi?_

_"Mario, why?" I spin back around to him. "This is—"_

_"For you, of course."_

_"For me?"_

_"Absolutely."_

_"Your friends—your brother—they're in chains."_

_"It was worth it, for us to happen."_

_Ok, time out. What happened to before, when he was insisting on peace? In fact, what happened to Star Hill? I can't even remember…wait, did we ever get there?_

_"To be honest, I'm a little out of the loop here."_

_"Of course, my King." That's off coming from him. "After all, with what you've lost—"_

_"After I what?" Please be metaphorical._

_"Relax, it's over."_

_"No, Mario, what did I lose?"_

_"…Enough." He tilts his head the other way and I'm almost afraid to follow it._

_Curiosity drives me, and I wish it hadn't. Eight broken scepters are scattered around the floor, gems shattered. The broken spectacles and torn cap make my stomach churn and twist. Red sunglasses are abandoned and broken, next to a lone golden ring and another pair of broken glasses._

_Forcing myself past them, I squint outside. Some Koopa shells are abandoned, with my banners standing near them, flapping, but torn. Cannons are overturned, and a Bullet Bill lies helpless on the ground. Piranha Plant stems are sticking from the ground, along with abandoned spiked balls, dug up holes, and a flopped over Goomba Shoe._

_"Brave sacrifices." I spin back around to Mario, who drops his head a little. "They did what was necessary for you, my Lord."_

_"W-Wait. I've lost soldiers many times before, but…Kamek…? The Koopalings, they're not that easy to…they're not…" I shake my head and stare at Mario. "How much did I lose this time? Is there even a kingdom left to rule?"_

_"For us, there is." He nonchalantly glances at his friends, or former ones, and shrugs. "Once they're dealt with how we like, the three of us will reign."_

_My shoulders drop, at just a bit of relief. "Junior too. Good, where is he?"_

_"Oh, no, not Junior." My eyes widen as Mario turns back to me. "We had a deal, remember?"_

_"Deal? Mario, I love you, but I would never trade my son's life for yours."_

_"Haven't you already? Countless times, putting him into senseless danger—"_

_"That's nothing compared to what you've gone through," I argue. "What did you do with him?"_

_"I did nothing." He stares past me, expressionless. "That one, on the other hand…"_

_Whirling around, I turn to see a dark robed figure holding Junior in a headlock. A knife is in his other hand. Roaring and spewing fire, I'm charging at him when Mario leaps into my path._

_"MOVE," I bellow._

_"It's already done."_

_"PAPA!"_

_Shoving past Mario, I slow to a halt and drop my arms. They've vanished._

_"Mario, why?!" My voice breaks, and I'm trembling with either fear or rage._

_"Well, I already asked you that." He shrugs to me, frowning, but not entirely as broken as I am becoming. "You vowed that you would do whatever it takes."_

_"I have limits!"_

_"Perhaps that's why I'm still here." He shrugs. "At least, I like to think."_

_"You…Mario, please, we have to get my son back!"_

_"It's already done," he repeated._

_"I CAN'T ACCEPT THAT!"_

_"Sir? Lord Bowser?"_

_Spinning around, the robed figure stood before me again. I ripped off the cloak, only to find…Junior under it?!_

_"J-Junior, what—?"_

_"Sir?" Junior's expression is vacant, even as I clutch him. "Sir, please."_

_"But you…you never call me…you're not suppose…"_

_The world around me fades away into darkness, and Junior disappears from my arms. Mario steps forward, back in his usual appearance, and he holds me. Just as I reach down to return the favor, he vanishes as well. Squeezing my eyes shut…I let everything disappear entirely._

* * *

**[Bowser]**

My eyes snap open and I push myself up. Unfortunately, that rouses Mario as I accidentally knock him over moving.

"S-Sir?"

Shaking my head, I adjust back to the cabin. It's dark, with no help from the black dresser and desk, but I can make out the glint of spikes from Goomphen's cap.

"Stammers, what…what are you doing here?"

"The-The others se-sent me to w-w-wake you, sir."

"Well, I'm awake, so what for?"

"W-We, uh, are all-almost there, s-sir."

"Where?"

"Star Hill," murmurs Mario, still half-asleep.

"Correct, sir." He pauses and shivers while I raise a brow at him. "I…I n-n-need to go, now, sire! Please h-hurry. B-Bye!"

The little Goomba rockets himself into a wall, yelps in alarm, and runs out a dark opening, disappearing into the ship. I blink, and scratched my jaw.

"…What was he freaking out about?"

"He called us both 'sir,'" mutters Mario as buries his head back into the pillow.

"Are we supposed to be called otherwise?" I ran my claw through my messy hair.

"It's what he's supposed to call you, not me," comes the muffled response.

"Are you not a 'sir,' Mario?" I snort. "Last time I checked—"

"He was trying to be more courteous to you. Or not trying to imply I was your equal. I don't know."

"Why would that even matter?"

"Bowser, I don't know; they're your subjects." He lets out a heavy sigh into the pillow. "Just…go with it."

"Sure." I push off the green covers and slide from the bed. Stretching, I listen to my body crack a bit and groan before turning back to Mario. Carefully, I tuck him back in, propping the covers around him. "Not as warm as me, but that should do."

"Do what?"

"You're staying here, right?"

"No, we're almost at Star Hill." Mario pushes himself up and shakes his head. He pulls the fallen covers off of his overalls and repositions himself. "I'm the reason we're here, and I'm going along for the trip."

"Great, but we…haven't landed yet."

He raises an eyebrow as he grabs his cap and puts it on. "So?"

"We're not getting a warm welcome." He stares blankly at me while I shrug. "Did you forget who you were traveling with?"

"Kamek told us that the Shamans are supposedly unaligned," counters Mario. "You and I have no sway or influence on them. I'd imagine that Peach has none either, since I don't recall her ever mentioning them."

"That's the problem altogether: they're not on anyone's side but their own." I grunt as I fold my arms. "If you were completely without a side in a raging war that's lasted decades within your land, what's the first reaction you'll have at someone from either party arriving in your territory?"

"Bowser, you're not going there to conquer them," he argued. "We're just looking for a cure for me, and then leaving."

Putting it so sweetly simple like that could probably fool the Shamans after all, were it just Mario coming. Not me though, as I shook my head. "We're coming with a large vessel, Mario. They're going to know there's more than one or two of us on here. Thirteen is an overwhelming and threatening number. Hell, even just seeing a boat is a threat to them."

Mario walks over to me and takes my hands into his. "Have a little faith in people, Bowser." Without another word, he guides me from the dark cabin and through the ship, as we pass through the lower decks and go topside.

On the main deck, my forces are all gathered and stare across the misty waters below the darkened blue sky, no stars in sight. Far in the distance, past the mist, I could barely make out the outline of a dark purple cliff.

"I…thought we rested less than a full day," I murmur.

"You did, sire," reported Tech Guy, as the blue hooded Shy…uh, Fly Guy floats over to Mario and I. "It's been just seven hours since you sent Mario under, and six hours and fifty three minutes since Kamek sent you after him."

"You could've just rounded up," I mutter. Clearing my throat and just a little louder, I ask, "If we've only slept a few hours, then why is it dark already? Kamek sent me down during the early morning hours, so it should be afternoon at the latest."

"That's the area, sir." Glaucus, the gray Spike Top, wanders over to us while gazing up past his shell. "Similar to your territory, Star Hill appears to be perpetually dark, allowing anyone to see the stars whenever possible."

"There's a 'but' coming up, isn't there?"

"Yes, sire. Though the area is typically dark, the mist is…atypical. It shouldn't be here."

"Which means that we either came during the perfect time, or—"

A cannon blast fires out, and a heavy splash near the ship follows it right after.

"We're uh-under attack!"

Jumping around, the Goomba runs across the ship, shouting it to anyone that somehow couldn't have heard him. Ruby cackles and floats down from the crow's nest, as Koopella marches beside me.

"Did you see anything?" The purple Koopatrol folds her arms as the Red Boo, who shrugs and giggles.

"Nothing of interest," he cackles. "Just the direction of the cannon blast. But if there's one, then there are bound to be—"

Three more shots ring out as we duck. Two cannonballs splash around us, while a third cracks off the starboard railing. Mario and I slowly rise, and I stare at the damage: minor, but they've got a read on us.

"Orders, Your Excellence?"

I turn as the Poison Blooper floats over to me, tapping her green tentacles together. Scanning the deck, I spot a few cannons locked and tied down. Olive follows my train of thought and nods, tugging Koopella to follow her. Mario catches on just a few seconds after, before I can turn my attention from them.

"Wait, Bowser, don't do this." He stares up at me with a pleading look in his eyes. "If they think we're hostiles now, they'll be even more likely to assume the worst if we retaliate. There must be another way."

Another cannonball whizzes through the air and slams into our boat. I fumble with my balance as Mario falls over and hard on his rear. Koopella runs over to the port side and slams her fist down.

"Tech, we're taking on water!" The purple clad Koopatrol whirls around to the blue robed Fly Guy, who nods. "You've got it?"

"A good Shy Guy always comes prepared." He buzzes forward a bit, but pauses. "Olive, just in case, I'd like you on standby with me."

"Of course."

Carefully, he flies down over the side of the ship, with the Blooper in tow. Koopella runs over to the stairs below deck next.

"Bombkin, Jasmine! Ready the lower cannons!"

"We're on it!"

Mario forces himself up as the xebec shifts around, now tilting and unbalancing us again. He grabs my arm and I pull him up. Again, he looks into my eyes, and I find a calm in his deep blue eyes.

"Orders, sire?" I shake my head and turn to Ruby, who lightly pats the cannon he stands before. Koopella glares over to him. "Aw, sorry. Did you want to use that line? I know how much you love fighting and all that—"

"Whenever you're ready sir," Koopella interrupts the Boo. "We're ready on your command."

"Bowser, don't." I turn back down to Mario. He's steady now, his hand tightly locked in mine. "We can find another way."

Another cannonball splashes down beside us and hits the water hard, knocking the ship around. Mario flinches and stumbles a bit. Steadying my legs, I keep us both standing as my brows sink over my eyes.

"Sorry. I can't take that risk." He's ready to argue, but I roar over his coming protests: "Fire all!"

Shots ring out as the cannonballs burst forth, sailing across the sky. Koopella, Ruby, and Stammers rush from one cannon to the next, firing in rapid succession as Bombkin and Jasmine do the same with the artillery below. Accuracy isn't a great factor; the number of shots we fired is greater than what they can launch back at us. Soft thuds and crashes in the distance confirm our scored shots against the enemy.

Several more attacks are fired against us as the last of ours slam down along the distant land, with most of theirs missing; one, however, manages to burst down on the deck beside us, crashing below the ship.

"Who the blasted hell…?!" Kamek shouts and quickly warps up to us, his clothes a little wrinkled, his glasses sliding off his face, and his cap tilted the wrong way. "What's going on?!"

"We were under attack." I watch the horizon, still clouded by the fog. "We responded in kind."

"What? Who would…?" Kamek adjusts his cap and spectacles back into place. "Of course. Shamans would. Truly, they live up to their overprotective reputation."

"Shall we continue our attack, sire?" Koopella waits beside a loaded cannon, while Ruby and Goomphen hurry back into place. "We're ready when you are."

"Hold fire." I sigh and rub my thumb over Mario's hand. We exchange expressions, and he's easily annoyed and frightened by quickness to a counterattack. More surprising must be the relief in my face. Listening to Tech's buzzing propeller return to us, I breathe easy. "We're safe at the moment. That's what matters."

"No returned fire yet, sire," Glaucus assesses and strolls beside us. "Should we proceed to the land?"

"…Cautiously." I scratch my chin and nod. "Koopella, Ruby. Be ready to return fire at a moment's notice. If you hear a shot against us, retaliate immediately."

"Yes, sir."

"Good." I glance at the helm, and then at Kamek. "Well?"

"Hm? Oh, yes." Quickly, the old coot waves his wand and the ship surges forward once again. As we move on, the fog begins to dissipate. "Odd."

"W-Would this be a w-wel-welcome?" Goomphen shudders under his spiked cap as I shake my head.

"More than likely, we've just angered them," explains Glaucus. "They want us over there quickly so they can change battle tactics."

"Uh…oh." The Goomba's lip quivers as we wait to reach the land. "S-So then…"

He trails off as Olive gently pats his cheek, with Tech Guy flying up to the crow's nest. The xebec advances and we continue to the purple land in the distance. Even as we draw closer, the area only becomes more expansive, with several mounds in the distance, and blue stones glowing on the craggy surface.

Upon reaching the area, we dock the ship by a plateau, with a trail leading up to the main land. Everyone from the main deck climbs off of the ship and down planks to reach it. We stop and wait for the others below deck, with only Bombkin and Jasmine appearing quickly.

"Aren't we missing people?"

"Nix, and…uh…huh." The yellow robed Snifit pats on her mask's nozzle. "Honestly, I forgot the Paratroopa's name completely."

"They were supposed to be right behind us!" The orange Tail Bob-omb sizzles in annoyance. "What's taking them? We'll fall behind schedule at this rate!"

"What schedule?"

"The one I planned out for hypothetical purposes." Bombkin nods. "It soothes me."

"Why don't you just listen to Glaucus instead?" Ruby cackles. "His monotone is so soft that it's easy to be calm around him."

"Oh, Ruby, please." Olive taps two of her tentacles together. "That's so rude."

"He has point," admits Glaucus. "I'm not terribly loud nor animated with my voice. On the bright side, it easy to promote calmness in myself, as well as others."

"Then maybe you should get to work on this cutie," called Nix. The black Rex with white wings steps out of the ship, pulling the bright, white-shelled Paratroopa after him. Feather Duster is clutching tightly to a mop as he finally comes out. "He would have cleaned the entire ship all over again if you let him."

"Is that what you two were doing the whole time?" Jasmine folds her stubby arms together. "Because I don't even recall seeing either of you."

"We were," defends Nix. "Well…ok, uh, he was. I…watched, mostly."

"Watched?" Koopella snorts. "Were you actually learning how to clean, or were you just blankly staring at the poor Paratroopa the whole time?"

"Guys, I've got a name—"

"Oh, I was watching, you can count on that!" Nix folds his arms and beams proudly. "Definitely observed all." He turns to Feather Duster, who tilts his head in confusion.

"Nix, you're a total pervert," deadpans Tech Guy.

"Well, if the smart guy states that, it must be true!" The Rex laughs and proudly places his hands on his waist. "I could think of worse things to be, so I'll take that as a compliment."

"Enough," commands Kamek. "Step away from the xebec."

Everyone backs up on his order and we watch as Kamek summons his broomstick. He twirls his wand about and casts a massive cloud of hex spells around the ship, surrounding it from top to bottom.

"There," Kamek proudly calls. "It should be safe from vandalism."

"V…Vandalism?" Goomphen shudders.

"Oh, come on." The Boo floats over and pokes the Goomba, causing him to rocket into the air before gravity has him crash back down. "We were just attacked by angry locals. Of course they would consider destroying our sole method of transportation."

"Speaking of," Bombkin gains our attention. "How shall we plan our approach against these spell casting experts?"

"Spell casting  _species_ ," amends Kamek. "Not all of them are experts like yours truly."

Out of nowhere, his broom catches fire and quickly burns. With a yelp, Kamek jumps off, with Feather Duster flying forward to catch him. Mario and I spin around to find a pair of robed figures ahead, both fleeing into the distance upon sighting each of us.

"What was that about expertise?" I tease the old mage.

"Stow it, boy."

"Unless there's anything else for us to take care of," sounds Olive, "I propose we move forward."

"Agreed."

Gently pulling Mario after me, I lead the troops forward for a slight portion of the path before Nix and Koopella take the lead.

"Pardon me, milord Bowser sire, but we wouldn't want you to get hit with any surprises." Nix pauses and smirks. "Well, none of the potential unpleasant ones."

"Besides the crude part at the end, he is right, sire," concurs Koopella. "Take Mario and proceed after us."

Though I nod, something tells me that I wouldn't have had much of a choice in the matter. Just as the pair takes the lead, Tech Guy, Jasmine, and Olive take positions on our left. Ruby, Feather Duster, and Bombkin move to our right. Glancing back, Kamek walks behind Mario and I, with Goomphen and Glaucus barely steps behind him. The ten quietly continue to stroll forward with us, as if their defensive circle was completely commonplace.

Climbing forward along the path, we soon reach the main land. Gravelly ground beneath us, lavender leaves scattered from violet-blue trees to the sides, and large, dark blue stones to the sides, the location needs no introduction by this point. But, naturally, we move ahead to a shattered, yet glowing, star-shaped aqua stone.

"So, where's the Star Hill welcome wagon?"

Continuing ahead, we pass the stone and a wall, sighting craters further down the trail. As we approach those, I observe that they came from our cannonballs, having torn up the ground into the pits they formed. Further on, a tree is smashed open with another cannonball smashed into the stony wall.

"Nice aim, Koopella," mocks Nix. "One of these must have been you."

"At least I was actually fighting," the Koopatrol bitingly returns. "You were watching the floorboards dry, right?"

"Ah, something with stiff wood, yeah." The Rex laughs even as Koopella punches his shoulder. "You went there!"

"No, you did. Now shut up; we need to listen carefully."

Slowing our pace, Mario and I join the two as we gaze ahead, searching the area for anything or anyone that might pop out. Even though neither of us hear a sound, Koopella taps Nix, who turns back to stop us.

"Tech, you got a spear?"

"Yep."

Rummaging around in a pack that he had carried, Tech pulls out a blade and a silver staff. He pulls on pole arm to extend it, and then twists the blade on top. He tosses it over to Koopella, who catches it and spins around.

"Thanks."

She then creeps forward, readying the spear before her. Koopella's movements are near silent, without even the slightest skid over the ground beneath her. Waiting a moment, she quickly dives around a corner, and a yelp is heard. Goomphen audibly swallows hard.

"D-Did she…did she j-just…?"

Scuffling and dragging noises are heard before Koopella reappears, dragging a teal robed figure. Unlike Magikoopa or Shy Guy robes, these cloak the figure's entire body, with only two orange eyes and a tuft of red hair visible from behind the shadowed area of its hood. There's a slight tear where the hem dangles, where the spear caught him. Koopella throws the Shaman forward as his arms lift from his body; only gloved hands are visible, and briefly before the sleeves flow over them again. Pushing up, he backs away from us, but Koopella cuts off his escape routes.

"W-What do you monsters want with me?" His voice is almost ethereal, similar to a Boo's, but with less of a humored tone cackling behind it.

"Answers." I stepped forward, a bit in front of Mario. "Anything you can give us."

"Then prepare for disappointment, Koopa."

Quickly, the Shaman pointed his hand up to the sky, and a bright red flare suddenly launched from his finger. It burst in the sky and, within seconds, three more Shamans jump down from cliffs along the craggy walls. Two shorter ones are in carmine red and forest green robes, while the larger third Shaman wears a dark green. Each set their hands ablaze and aims at us. Koopella lifts her spear to the Shaman before us, ready to impale him.

"Release him, monster," commands the Shaman in red.

"Or what? You'll toss fireballs at us?" I snort. "I've played against Fire Flowers before. And I'm not exactly threatened by them."

"Fireballs are the weakest of tools to use," taunts the green robed Shaman. "Perhaps that will be all that is needed against the likes of you."

"If I so much as see a flame flutter from a finger," Koopella threatens, "I'll gut him."

"You make the mistake of thinking he's important," laughs the largest of the trio. "Any of us would rather die if we needed to keep our people safe."

"Um, yeah, sure, but…can we try avoiding my death?" The Teal Shaman shivers.

"Considering our options," the Red Shaman assesses, "that might be unavoidable."

"Hang on!" Mario pushes his way forward and steps in front of me. "You attack us, and you'll be participating in a war that you would rather avoid. The smart option would be to avoid this conflict."

"The reason that we're here," thunders the large Shaman, "is because you've brought the war to us!"

"Actually, no, we're here for something unrelated to it," explains Mario. "I'm cursed."

"So you would assume that it's our magic?" The shorter green one sounds offended.

"Well, we've already determined that it was not a Magikoopa's magic." Mario shrugs. "Maybe it's something else entirely and we don't know what that is. But until we rule out the magic works of a Shaman, we need to be here."

"You invade our homeland, attack us—"

"To be fair, you attacked our ship first," interrupted Tech Guy. "We were just sailing here and wouldn't have even mounted an attack on the, uh…mountains, until we were attacked first."

"Yet you fight fire with fire?" The red Shaman shakes his head. "Exactly what did you hope to gain from that? What kind of response do you expect of us?"

"First off, we were defending ourselves," I snap. "Second, if you attack us, what kind of response were you looking for? Besides the ship sinking, what did you want us to do?"

"Leave," mutters the captive Shaman. "But it appears that's no longer an option."

"Forget faults." Mario steps forward again. "Just lead us to whoever is in charge, allow us to seek counsel with them, and we'll leave sooner. No one needs to fight, no one needs to die."

"You practically killed our people with that assault!"

"And you nearly killed us!"

"Bowser," hisses Mario.

"What? They did!"

"Guys," the teal Shaman calls out again, "it may be that they've got a spear to my back, but can we try giving them a chance? Chieftain Vi will want to see them alive or dead anyway, so we might as well bring them—"

"To the hamlet that they've already helped destroy?! Absolutely not!"

"Seems like they don't value your life one bit," cackles Ruby.

"No matter how powerful your magic is, you're outnumbered," continues Mario. "And we have magic capabilities between our group. You may stop some of us, but you cannot defeat us all, and battling is pointless—"

"The goal isn't to defeat you, it's to weaken you," corrects the shorter green Shaman.

"Have you had any casualties yet?" None of the Shamans reply to Mario's inquiry. "Then does it make any sense to tally them up, instead of just taking us with you?"

"If it makes it easier for our people to dispatch you when you approach, then yes."

"Come off it," intervenes Glaucus. "If we were here for blood or conquest, your friend here would be dead, we would already be fighting you, and more than likely off to destroy whatever settlement you're safeguarding. We're not. We sailed here for the sole purpose of helping this gentleman that's carefully campaigning for a peaceful solution to what has been an otherwise hostile conflict." The Spike Top shakes his gray shell a bit and rests again. "It's up to you, but think carefully how you want this to play out. If you do care for your people's lives, you'll make the right choice."

"Which, in this scenario, also happens to be the smart one," adds the Fly Guy. "Though, that's based on my perspective."

For a moment, the Shamans glance and whisper to one another. They nod and shake their heads during their quiet discussion before ultimately lowering their hands, letting their embers die down. They wait for us, presumably to double cross and attack them, and jerk up in mild astonishment when we don't.

"Bah, all right then." The largest Shaman straightens up. "Lead them to the hamlet, and we'll let Vi speak with them." He beckons the other two to follow him and they walk back beyond the cliffs, out of sight.

"Why is the chief named after a letter?" Feather Duster questions.

"There's an "i" after the "v," but it's pronounced the same way," explains the teal robed Shaman.

"Ah."

"And your name?" Jasmine pipes in. "What's yours?"

"Me? I, uh…I'm Alistair." The teal robed Shaman shrugs. "Or, for now, at least. Once I'm assigned a new job…or, if, I suppose, I'll be given a new name."

"You're…named for your jobs?" I grunt. "That's…odd."

"Perhaps to you, but it's pretty normal for us." Alistair shrugs again. "It's important that we are always reminded of what our tribal role is."

"Oh, like Feather Duster."

"That's not my name!"

"Yeah, I already renamed him, 'Cutie Pie,'" jokes Nix.

"Aw, come on!" The Paratroopa folds his arms in annoyance. "It's not even that hard of a name to remember! It's not even special!"

"Then yes, I suppose our names would be similar to his."

"But that's not…oh, forget it."

"Is this hamlet much further?" Mario taps on the Shaman's shoulder.

"It's just a little further…there."

He points ahead and we see just a few clustered houses, or rather, some huts of wood and stone. There's not much to the place, though our assault added new features such as a cooking pit and the potential for swimming pools; all they need to do is figure out how to move the cannonballs from the craters. And the few huts that we managed to destroy.

Several Shamans are wandering around outside, but pause and observe us as we enter the hamlet. Though their colors are a varied palette, each robe is either toned down or shaded, giving off a muted or darker vibe as a whole; even yellows and oranges are dulled. Everyone wears a hood or veil over his or her faces, with only hair tufts, mustaches, or beards visible.

Alistair waves to a few shadowed faces that don't wave back, too concentrated on us, before guiding us to a hut in the middle, still in tact from the attack. He stops and turns to us.

"Wait just one moment, please," he instructs while opening the door.

"No chance," I interrupt. "He's seeing us immediately."

"Um…I don't know how well he can accommodate fifteen people."

"Fine." I turn and look over my subjects. "Kamek and Mario are obviously coming in with me. Olive, Bombkin, the two of you can come as well." The orange Bob-omb and the green Blooper come over to us. "The rest of you, out here. And don't start trouble unless someone else does."

My other soldiers nod and we turn back to Alistair. He looks me up and down before nodding and entering, with the five of us in tow. Well, the others get in without a problem; I need to hunch down and push through the small opening. It's a tighter squeeze for me, but I manage to get in.

"Chieftain Vi," announces Alistair, "I've brought to you the ones that attacked us." He pauses and scratches his head. "Um…that's meant to sound less foolish than it does."

"Ah, the outsiders, yes."

The Chieftain steps forward, in azure robes with a goldenrod pointed hat atop his hood. A black beard flows out from his darkened face, and I'm assuming there should be some additional facial hair with it. His eyes are a glowing sky blue.

"Thank you for accepting us into your humble abode," greets Olive for the rest of us.

"Welcome to Stardust Valley, I suppose." His tone, while tempered, has obvious hints of aggravation. "To what do my people owe this displeasure?"

"Listen, you attacked us," I snarl.

"And you retaliated, as anticipated." Vi shakes his head. "Just second nature for the Koopa King, of course."

"What?!"

"Easy, Bowser," soothes Mario. "Contrary to the attack, we mean no harm here."

"Clearly," quips the chief. "Just encroaching on our territory for whatever reason."

"We don't have time to keep bantering over this," snaps Kamek. "This man is cursed, by Shaman magic." He adjusts his spectacles before continuing. "I've tested it against other spells that Magikoopa are familiar with. It's most certainly not of our kingdom. We came here to cure him. Nothing more; we're not looking to disturb your people that ran away from the world."

"Shamans don't run from problems." Vi strokes his beard and studies Mario. "Cursed? Are you certain it's Shaman magic?"

"Yes," assures Kamek. "Advanced magic, too."

Silently, the Shaman Chieftain lifted his arms up toward Mario, with his hands glowing an aqua color.

"Hey now!" Bombkin rushes forward. "None of that, you hear? I'll blow this place sky high, if needed!"

"Your Magikoopa may have done a thorough inspection, but I need to ensure his theories for myself," clarifies Vi. "This isn't an offensive spell. Just one to inspect for traces of our magic."

"…Very well," Bombkin relents.

"Harm him, and it'll be the last move you make," I threaten.

"Yes, yes, Koopa threats and what not," the Shaman chief dismisses. "Your people have always been such a hardened, furious bunch." He begins to motion his hands across Mario's body. "Then again, I suppose those from the Mushroom Kingdom can be equally cantankerous, try as they might to bury it."

He pauses and tilts his head, eyeing Mario with newfound curiosity. The aura from the Shaman's hands extends across my boyfriend's body, and my heartbeat quickens just watching them. Olive floats over and strokes my arms, but it does nothing for me.

"Stretch out your arms and separate your legs, please," he asks Mario, who follows his instruction. "Now that I think about it," Vi continues, "what is a human doing with the Koopa King himself? And not just any human, but it's the famous hero, 'Super Mario' himself? From what my people have heard, you two should be enemies, correct?"

"It's a long story." Mario checks with me and I nod.

"Very well. Now, hold still a moment."

Vi scoops his hands together, and the aura shifts as he does so. His black-gloved hands shake as he forces them apart, with the blue aura shifting to a bright red. I raise a brow and turn to Alistair, whose eyes widen. Chieftain Vi brings his hands back together and the auras fade completely.

"Well then. That confirms your story." Duh. Chieftain Vi massages his hands together and sighs. "It's rather extraordinary, though; the Shaman magic is more powerful than I can get a fair reading on."

"Something about your tone suggests otherwise," catches Olive. "You're familiar with this magic?"

"Of course; it is Shaman magic."

"Yes, but you know more about it, don't you?"

"Perhaps." He shakes his head and tips his cap. "Though, what purpose do I have telling you all I know, after you've reigned hostility upon this hamlet since your arrival?"

"Hey!" I bark and stomp closer to him. "You want us gone? Then give us answers!"

"Still the menacing over manners," chuckles Chieftain Vi. "What will you do? Try to level this place? Shamans are more powerful than you take them for."

"No, we're fully aware of that," contends Kamek. "It's you that appears to be underestimating us. Odd, considering that you know the aggression that we're infamous for."

"I'm banking on that to help us from whatever conflict your planning to involve us in."

"Listen, you twisted little—"

"Bowser." I jerk my head up and glare at Mario, who frowns at me. He motions his hands down twice and I snort.

"Fine," I reluctantly grumble. "What would it take for you to give us this information that you're withholding?"

"Mm, interesting," analyzes the Shaman. "Mario can calm even the mighty Bowser? Just what happened between you two—?"

"You give us answers, and I'll tell you ours," I interject.

"Tempting," Vi chuckles again, before continuing, "but as you can imagine, Shamans have little interest in the affairs of the larger kingdoms."

"Also a lie," Olive pipes in again. "And, even without your tone, I know that."

"As do I," sounds Bombkin. "You know of both Bowser and Mario. And your people must need to keep tabs on ours to an extent, lest any of us come here and catch you lot off guard."

"Perceptive pair, these two," grunts Vi. "Very well, you are correct on that matter. However, that's not something I immediately desire from any of you."

"What if we helped you rebuild your hamlet," offers Mario. "It'll take less time if we pitch in, and it corrects the damage that we've caused."

"Mario, we're not," I begin to gripe, but he shoots me a glare and I fall silent.

"A nice offer, but we have wounded Shamans to attend to as well."

"If you're that determined to stall us, fine," cuts in Kamek. "Otherwise, I can help with healing your injured citizens."

"Hmm." Vi strokes his long dark beard and exhales again. "I suppose that's as good an offer as we can ask for. Very well; you help us rebuild what you've damaged, and I'll point you in the right direction." He looks over each of us and nods. "Are those terms acceptable?"

Glaring at Mario, he rolls his eyes and returns my annoyance. "…Sure, they're fine."

"Excellent. Alistair, let's head out and begin."

"Yes, sir."

The two Shamans exit. Kamek stares at me, glances at Mario, and turns back to the others.

"Ok, you two, with me, let's help out the Shamans."

Quickly, the three head out, leaving Mario and I alone. He folds his arms and sighs.

"Out with it."

"Do you really have to undermine me like that?" I grab my hair tightly. "Seriously, that was the last thing I needed, and I could have easily coerced him into—"

"Didn't you listen to him? They anticipate that kind of action from you." Mario shakes his head. "And really, Bowser, I thought you would be open to finding alternatives to dealing with your opposing forces. I've asked you about that already."

"For Peach, and I'm thinking about it," I argue. "But not these people. They're…not involved with our affairs, so I don't…need to…I don't know, show mercy?"

"You should, Bowser," contests Mario. "If they're not involved, that makes them a potential ally to your cause. Even still, you shouldn't be looking to make enemies or crush any form of opposition. Reasoning is viable too." He smiles to me, and I deflate. "See how well it works with me?"

"…Good point, but that doesn't change the fact of the matter."

"Which is?"

"These are the people that cursed you."

For a moment, we're both silent as we stare into one another's eyes. He understands my actions now. Still, he manages another smile and grabs my hand, squeezing it.

"Thank you. But that's all the more reason that we need to cooperate with them."

"What? Why?"

"Because the Shamans here have more to tell us." Mario nods as he lets go of my hand. "And right now, they hold all of the cards we need. We made a deal, so let's just follow through. It's already done."

Grunting, I nod and Mario steps outside. His last words stir a chill in me, reminding me of my dream earlier. Grumbling and shaking my head, I force my way back outside.

* * *

An hour or so passes as I shift my attention between watching my troops work at rebuilding huts, healing Shamans, and socializing, while I stare over the cliffs, gazing out to the dark horizon, the sky and sea retaining their dark blue colors throughout. I glance back and catch Mario laughing with Goomphen and a group of Shamans as they shift stones into place. Growling, I look to Kamek, who smiles as he waves his wand around, healing a few Shamans that Olive and Glaucus assist him to tending. Snarling, I turn around again and force myself to focus on the water's waves.

"Lord Bowser?"

Pivoting around, I find a yellow Snifit behind me.

"Jasmine," I sigh. "What is it?"

"I was going to ask you the same, sire." She tapped at her mask. "You seem rather upset at the moment."

"It's nothing."

"Very well." I wait for her to leave, but she doesn't immediately. "Would Your Majesty rather that I send Mario or Kamek over?"

"No, I'd rather you walk away and not speak to anyone about me." I turn back and kick a stone off the cliff.

"Sire, it's not my place, but I cannot leave you like this," persists Jasmine. "Please, allow me to send someone else over."

"Look, I don't want anyone else over here, ok?" I whirl back and glare at her. Sighing, my face drops and I shake my head. "It's just…I don't know. I don't trust these people, and yet, everyone else is helping them along just fine."

"Only in your best interests, milord. And Mario's."

"Sure, and that's fine, but I…" Trailing off, I sigh again. "That's just it though. Mario's good at doing this stuff, helping people. It's what he does, heroic and kind and all that."

"He is inspiring," she agrees.

"Right, but…I'm not." I spin away from her and stare out at the water again.

"Sir?"

"Honestly, it shouldn't be bothering me so much." I force a laugh, which weakly dies. "I just…love how good he is, with almost anyone. Even as exhausting as it can be for him to put up that front, that face, Mario slips into that helpful hero role so easily." I sigh.

"Ah…sire?"

"Meanwhile, I'm notorious for the same hot-blooded temper and bellowing that's run in my family for generations. And I've built my empire on so many failures that it's astounding to have anyone still loyal to me." A more genuine chuckle falls out, as lackluster as it sounds.

"Uh, sir?"

"Having dissenters makes perfect sense, and I should honestly have them in bulk. I've promised them that I would overturn Peach's reign, but I've delivered nothing. They want Mario's blood to atone for their fallen brethren, but I've fallen in love with him instead." I claw my hands through my hair and yank on my horns.

"Bowser, sir."

"Lately, I've screwed up so many times that I feel like helping out will always end blowing up in my face. Sure, I've gotten lucky a few times, but for the most part, I'm afraid. And I haven't even helped the Shamans here, not only because I distrust them, but also because I don't want to screw up everyone else's efforts." I chuckle and turn around. "Sorry Jasmine, I don't mean to ramble on over you, but I wanted to get that out, and I…"

My mouth hangs open as Mario folds his arms, a smirk right across his face. Jasmine drops her arms and hangs her head.

"I'm fired, aren't I, sir?"

"Not today," I grumble. "But you better walk away this time."

"As you wish, sire. My apologies."

Swiftly, the Snifit hurries away, leaving me with Mario. Breathing in through my nose, I hold the breath and cup a hand over my eyes, before slowing exhaling it.

"How long?"

"Pretty much the whole thing."

"Naturally." I drag my hand away and groan. "Well? I dumped out my insecurities. Got anything for that?"

"Just the typical pep talks that you've possibly heard before, telling you that you're not as much of a screw up, and that you're great with your son, the Koopalings, Kamek, more soldiers than you realize, and me." He pauses and I glance at him. As he opens his mouth, I look away. "That it's not easy to rule a kingdom, that everyone makes mistakes, that it's ok to mess up, and that you shouldn't be so discouraged to try things, especially if I'm around to help you."

"You done?"

"Nope, but I'll let it slide for now." Mario takes my hand and holds it, rubbing it. "You want to talk about anything else?"

"We're here for your problems, not all of mine."

"Bottling yours up doesn't make them go away, Bowser." I look down to see him smiling up at me. "And just because I've got a destructive curse that's eating away at me doesn't mean that you're allowed to just put me first and forget all of your own troubles, because that won't help either of us."

"…Fine." I grumble and kick at the ground again, watching a small cloud of purple dust float off. "I, uh…well, you're not the person I wanted to talk about this with, but I guess if I can't…look, I had a nightmare, earlier."

"Back on the ship?"

"Yeah, and it was…I don't know, strange."

"Elaborate."

"Well, apparently, you gave in, teamed up with me to take over Peach's Castle, which threw me off to begin with, because I know you would never."

"Sorry." He shrugs, at a loss of anything else to add.

"No, I understand." I scratch the back of neck, around my collar. "Honestly, I am trying to avoid doing anything like that, so that's another reason why it confused me." I shrugged and slightly smiled. "We already got into a fight with your friends, and I don't want you mad at me all over again."

"So far so good." He returns my smile and squeezed my hand a bit.

"Great! …Oh, right. Uh, after I walked into the throne room and you came out…oh, you showed me all of your friends all chained up, so that goes along with the first part." I tap my nails together and recall the dream's details. "Actually, you were really ok with it, and it was kind of sexy, but pretty creepy too. You had a cape, and you were all into it being for the two of us to rule together, essentially relentless against your friends. Um, you also kept calling me by royal titles, which I don't really like coming from you when we're not goofing around."

"Wait, wait," Mario waves his free hand to pause me. "I got held up by the part where you thought I was sexy and creepy. How does that work?"

"Um…well, I don't know how it works really." My face fires up and I'm positive it's flushed over now. "You were really into holding me while acting all seductive and smug, but you had this wicked grin on your face at some points, and, oh!" I snap my fingers. "The next part, you reported all of the casualties to me, which included Kamek, and the Koopalings, along with a good amount of my army, to the point where it might have just been the two of us left."

"Wow, uh, that went from fun ideas to horrid possibilities, and really fast too." I nod while Mario scratches his head under his cap. "But, what about Junior?"

Smiling, I'm delighted that he remembered my son, but I quickly frown over the next part. "Apparently, we made a deal to trade Junior's life for whatever we needed to secure victory. Some guy in a dark robed outfit had him with a knife, you tried to explain to me that I couldn't go back on it, then they vanished and I was having a meltdown over it. Then I started hearing Goomphen, but it played out in my dream, so the guy in the robes returned, and I ripped them off, but it was Junior who was there, and then everything except the two of us disappeared, but just before I could grab you, you vanished. And…that was it."

Shaking my head, I look down to Mario, whose mouth hangs open while he stares at me. With a snort, I shake my head and slip my hand away from him.

"See? I knew I didn't want to tell you."

"No, I'm glad you did, it's just…that's a lot of…awful, terrible scenarios."

"You're telling me." I fold my arms and nod. "And I thought you would have topped me with nightmares. Not that it's a contest." My frown droops lower while I drop my head and arms again. "But now I'm remembering yours, and I feel bad about dumping mine out."

"At least you didn't watch anyone die," soothes Mario. "That was definitely more horrid than mine, but I actually watched you die right in front of me. And before you, Peach fell to her death, and after, I…wait." Mario pauses and stares down at the ground.

"What is it?"

"There was a dark robed figure in my dream too," he recalls. "And it stabbed me at the end of mine too."

"Hooray! Infectious dreams!" I laugh a bit and pat Mario's back. "I must have had yours sitting in the back of my mind and thought it up myself."

"Bowser, I never described the assailant to you."

We both freeze as my eyes widen. After a minute, Mario grabs my hands and shakes me a bit.

"It's fine, we'll figure it out later." He turns back to the Shamans, all of which I immediately feel less comfortable around. "Let's finish up here and get moving."

"Mario, they're all wearing really dark robes," I panic as I analyze. "What if the Shaman that cursed you is here, and he's also a killer? Or she, for all we know!"

"They're…not that dark," Mario reasons. "Besides, we don't know if anyone here is capable of that, so…um, we could just see where Vi points us."

"And if he's lying?"

"That's a bridge we'll have to cross later." He sways my hands as he rubs them. "We don't have any means to prove who could have done it, and we can't interrogate the entire hamlet."

"Why not?"

"Because it's over the top," dismisses Mario. "Now, we'll see what Vi tells us once we're done cleaning up." He turns and gazes back to the Shamans rebuilding. "Actually, I think that we're almost done, save for a cannonball to move in that crater right there."

He points and I march off from the cliffs, waving for him to follow me. Storming up to the cannonball in a crater, I grab onto it. Sucking in air and heaving, I tug on it and pull to lift it.

"Easy, Bowser, we had everyone pitch in with the others—"

Roaring, I lift the cannonball from the ground, spin, and launch it off the mountainside, off into the sea in the distance. Panting, I turn to Mario, whose mouth has fallen open again.

"Impressed, right?" I flex my muscles for him. "You forget how strong I am, after all that cuddling, huh?"

"Um…I suppose so, but…why would you throw it into the sea?"

Opening my mouth and raising a finger, I try to answer him, but nothing comes to mind. Pinching my lower lip, I shrug.

"It had to go somewhere, right?"

"They were planning on putting them aside to reuse for their own cannons."

"Well, that's no help for us. And we can't transport them back, so…" I shrug. "It works out in the end. Sort of."

Silent for a moment, Mario and I burst out laughing. Someone interrupts us by clearing his throat, and we stop, turning to find Kamek and Chieftain Vi before us.

"Uh…are we done?"

"We do still need to figure out how to fill in this crater," points out Vi, "but for the most part, yes, that should be all the help we need from you."

"Good, then…hold on a second." I clear my throat and turn. "Olive!" I shout out. "Get over here!"

Within seconds, the Poison Blooper floats over to us. "At Your Gracious Sire's service."

"Right." I turn back to the chief. "Now, what weren't you telling us?"

"Well, it's true that Mario is cursed, and that a Shaman was behind it." He turns and surveys the other Shamans as they finish the repairs. "But I have no idea who could be behind it, nor am I capable of determining which among my people would have the means of doing so." Vi pivots back to us. "You see, that curse you're under has been there for some time, but I can't determine the methods that were utilized for it. If someone cast it from a distance, they would have needed an array of supplies, along with a piece of you to use in conjunction with the spell."

"A…piece of me?"

"Yes, though not necessarily flesh," notes Vi, putting no one at ease. "It could be hair, a nail, a tooth, and other manner of, uh…um. Fluids…?" He coughs as we exchange disgusted expressions with one another. "Anyway, you get the idea. It's more complicated from afar, though still possible. Up close, you need to have the entire spell ready to be cast, and even then, you must be directly on top of the target." Vi shrugs. "To my knowledge, none of the Shamans that are here have visited either the Mushroom Kingdom or the Koopa Kingdom. And we're a small settlement, so anyone's absence is noticed."

"That has to be crap," I disrupt. "It has to be someone here."

Glancing at Olive, she shrugs. "He…doesn't sound like he's lying about anything."

"There's nothing to lie about, honestly," confesses Vi, though I'm wary of him. "The last thing that the people here would want is to join your war; we steer clear of your territories for that reason alone." He sighs. "However…we're not the only settlement of Shamans, nor are we the most powerful."

Everyone utters it out at once: "What?"

"There are several peaks to Star Hill, with the tallest housing the Star Shrine," describes Vi. "The third highest, however, has a family of Shamans living there, high away from the rest of us. They're prophetic, capable of reading future events, and hold more power than those of us down here can manage."

"So," I start, "it was one of them?"

"Not necessarily, and I can't point out an accusing finger to save my people," admits Vi. "After all, there are numerous people here who have not been assigned their jobs, in which they have a name change and have their potentials determined. So, it is possible that someone here has kept their powers concealed, or they could be dormant until the opportune moment." Vi shakes his head and tugs on his cap. "Sorry, that only expands the possibilities."

"We need to start somewhere," cuts in Kamek. "Who are you sending us to?"

"Merlon. That's what they call him now."

"Wait, Merlon?" Mario picks at his mustache and wrinkles his nose. "That name sounds familiar…"

"That's the part I was getting to," explains Vi. "There are multiple Shamans by that name, as well as the names of his family members. They are also travelers, for their role of fortune telling can guide them to various lands, regardless of the Shaman populous there. Perhaps you've run into fortune tellers of the same name, and thus, similar roles."

"Then it could have been any of them," I criticize. "This is only expanding our pool of suspects."

"True, but this is why I must send you to the Merlon of Star Hill," explains Vi. "The peak they live on is known as 'Shooting Star Summit.' Go there, and you can find Merlon. Even if you are suspicious of him, he is your only hope at narrowing the potential Shaman that cursed you. Even more importantly, Merlon can most definitely remove the curse." Vi strokes his beard and tips his cap. "This is everything that I know, and all I can offer to help you with."

"Well…it's a step forward," decides Mario. "Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome. I'll take you and your troops to the way for the crossroads to the different mountains. Once you reach it, there should be signs, but if they've been vandalized recently, you'll want to take the path nearest to the middle trail, but going toward the left."

"Ok, point us to it, and we'll be off."

He nods and guides us through the hamlet, with Kamek and Olive rounding up the rest of our crew. The local Shamans stop and watch Mario and I as we pass, while I try to read them, looking for a potential match to the Shaman that cursed Mario, and possibly the one in our dreams.

Naturally, I can't really decide which one rubs me the wrong way, or any more than they usually do, and we're left moving forward as everyone meets up with us by a lighter, smoother pathway. Chieftain Vi stops, glances down it, and nods to us.

"Your best bet is traveling this way," he points out. "Be on guard; there are threats around Star Hill, as well as savage Shamans that may attack you."

"Swell," I grumble.

"We can handle it," assures Mario. "Thank you again, Chieftain Vi."

"And again, you're welcome." He tips his cap to us. "I do hope you find the answers you're looking for, as well as how to be rid of this curse."

My troops form a circle around us again, as we march onward, leaving the hamlet of Stardust Valley behind us. Mario waves to Vi until we're too far from his sight.

"What an peculiar tribe of magicians," snickers Ruby. "They're oh so very cryptic, and more so secretive."

"It could have been worse," gently disputes Jasmine. "They could have kept fighting us, not told us any information at all, and only cause more quarrels with us."

"Ohohoho…if only that were the worst they could have done!"

"How much worse were you expecting, Ruby?" Even I was curious at this point.

"Muuuch." The Red Boo's usual wicked grin dropped to a frown. "Magic is and has always been a double-edged sword."

"Obviously, and we've all heard that one before," I grumble. "Mind explaining your point further?"

"Certain magical arts are quite enjoyable to dabble in; Boos are not as strong of practitioners, but we enjoy its benefits," expanded Ruby. More darkly, he continued, "However, magic is also quite destructive against even a ghost such as me. Though we fool around with it, several types of magic can harm us, as well as dispel us entirely. Clearly, if it's so effective against us, it's equally, if not more powerful, against the rest of you." He…shivered, of all reactions. "Even if we need them, being around the Shamans was not pleasant, as much for me as anyone else."

"Uh…sorry," I manage, scratching behind my head. "But…you're usually fine around the Magikoopa."

"They're always around us and have practiced spells that we are familiar with," clarifies Ruby. "Even if they find us annoying, a Magikoopa we know is less likely to try erasing us than others capable of magic."

"True, as tempting as it sometimes would be to mess with Boos that drive us insane," jokes Kamek.

"Imagine that same feeling, with less restraint, around another mage. Perhaps they might enjoy getting rid of a Boo, perhaps they cast another horrible fate. Consider a Shaman might make me into a puppet of their own use, or perhaps distort me in some terrible and twisted form." He curls into his body and morphs around, but returns to his usual form, small hands over his eyes. "Having control over this shifting form is such fun; I don't like to imagine it being used against me."

"Sorry again." I didn't quite know how to console the Boo, especially over fears of the Shamans. "If you want to leave, I, uh, guess that's fine."

"Leave? And miss the fun that everyone else is going through with you, sire?" Ruby grins again and cheerfully cackles. "Now what kind of a loyal servant would do such a cowardly act? This Boo may be afraid, but that only makes the adventure that much more thrilling!"

"Then…you have a twisted sense of fun," I chuckle.

Ruby maintains his toothy smile and agrees: "Boos tend to."

Further along the craggy pass, we pass numerous violet trees and blue stones, with leaves scratching along our trail. After reaching another star shaped stone, we come up to broken signs and a crossroads for the different peaks. There are seven roads ahead of us, and we stare at them.

"Figures that the signs are broken," nitpicks Kamek. "Now, which way was it?"

"He told us that it should be the…third from the left, I think," explains Mario. "That one near the middle. Though, he did mean the left we were coming from, right?"

"Why didn't he specify the cardinal directions?" Tech Guy folds his short arms and his propeller buzzes as he flies in front of us. "Well, judging from the comment, I would imagine that he did mean this direction, so let's take it."

"Looooossssst, are we?"

Whirling around, my troops and I find a Shaman behind us. Unlike the ones from the hamlet, this one has a torn, dark blue cloak, with a red robe beneath it. An aqua orb pins its hood together, concealing all but dark, leering ruby eyes. Its voice, while still ethereal, is raspier, as it hisses out its words.

"Travellersssss unsssuurrre of where to go…?"

Koopella steps forward and tightens her grip on her spear. "Relax. We don't want any trouble."

"Trouble?" "Wwwwhyyyy would you find annyyy…trouble with mmmeeee?"

He taps at his orb with one hand, while a scepter slides from the other. Koopella lifts the spear and waits.

However, another Shaman tumbles down a hill beside the first one. With a similar appearance, the big difference is that this second Shaman wears a cracked bucket on its head instead of a hood, with a hole ripped open for its eyes. A third Shaman strolls out from behind a rock, similar to the first Shaman as well, but with patches over his cloak. Both of the new Shamans also have different orbs: one saffron yellow, and the other crimson.

"We can take them," murmurs Bombkin, twirling his raccoon tail.

Behind the trio, a few shards spin around, glimmering at they shift closer together. More fly over and pile in together as the light shimmers before fading to a dark veil. The Shamans turn and watch as a shadowy figure is formed before us. The spectral shape opens two glowing slits for eyes, and a larger, fanged one for its mouth. The remaining shards form a cloud that floats around the shadowy form.

"Ooh…a Monstar," cackles the bucket-wearing Shaman.

"Want to play with the rest of us?" The patchwork Shaman offers as the trio turns back to our group.

"Yeah," gargles the deep voice of the creature behind them.

"That…might be more problematic," admits Jasmine, twisting her nozzle.

"Regardless, we can take them all down," I growl. "Spread out and attack!"

Each of my soldiers runs before me as the Shamans race forward. Koopella, Nix, and Feather Duster reach the first Shaman, with Koopella swiping her spear down.

She shreds part of the Shaman's robe, but it pulls hard and escapes. Feather Duster flies forward next, targeting the Shaman before retreating into his shell and shooting down at it. The creature jumps away, evading him as well.

Ruby, Tech, and Olive fly over to the second Shaman, who charges an orb of lightning. They freeze and fly back as the lightning orb darts across the sky at them.

Pulling out a tribal shield, Tech Guy spins around and blocks the orb, with the lightning fizzling out against his defense.

Floating out past him, Olive flies over and squirts a dark ink at the Shaman, burning at its bucket and cloak. However, it shakes off some ink and readies another orb.

Bombkin, Jasmine, and Goomphen approach the third Shaman, who merely stares at them. It then lifts its hand, but nothing happens.

"Um-uh…sh-should we—?"

"Don't question it!" Bombkin dashes forward as he shouts. "Just fight!"

Swiftly, he whips his tail at the patch-cloaked Shaman, striking it in the face, but it refuses to lower its hand.

Jasmine capitalizes on Bombkin's attack, firing a bullet from her snout and hitting the Shaman. It flinches and hunches over, but keeps its hand up.

"What's it…uh oh."

Looking up too late, the trio jumps away as a giant, flaming meteor crashes down where they stood.

Shifting my attention around, I watch the first Shaman launch ice crystals at Nix before the shadowy creature floats before us.

"Slowest gets the big fellow, I suppose," notes Glaucus. "Well…I'm the slowest. Not sure what the rest of you three were doing."

"Waiting for it," snaps Kamek as he whips out his wand.

Twirling it, Kamek launches a series of hex shapes at the Monstar. It groans as the spell pelts it, but after shaking itself, several shard bits fly over to where the creature took damage.

"What the…?"

The creature roars as the shards fill back in its body, and it raises its hands. Additional shards fly up and form star shaped stones over its head, spinning around in place.

"Not good," is all I hear from Mario.

Quickly, I scoop up Glaucus as the monster thrusts its hands forward. The whirling star stones launch at us, buzzing as they approach.

Mario jumps aside from one stone, while Kamek blocks the other with a barrier spell. The third flies at me as I duck, with it bouncing off of my spiked shell and slamming into the ground just a few feet away.

"Great defense, Your Majesty," compliments Glaucus.

"Ah…thanks."

"Let me at him, if you will, sire."

"Huh? Oh, right."

Placing Glaucus down, the Beetle slides into his shell. It rapidly spins around in place before launching forward. Glaucus bounces off of the ground and flips, lobbing his spike at the creature.

It wails out as he impales it, flailing its arms. However, more shards buzz around the Beetle and the spectral shadow, knocking Glaucus away and refilling its open wounds.

Gazing over as Kamek launches another spell, I watch Nix roll away from more ice bits while Koopella twirls her spear around, shattering each bit as they come.

Spewing fire from his mouth, Nix spits a fireball at the Shaman, melting the next series of crystals. He spits another further up into the sky.

It passes by Feather Duster, who tucks into his shell again and catches the light from the fire. Redirecting it, his shell shines and blinds the Shaman, who hisses.

Koopella runs forward and stabs at Shaman, slicing its body as it backs away. The Shaman hisses as it builds ice around its body, and casts a blizzard of ice shards at the opposing three, knocking them back.

Turning back to the monster, it lobs out another three whirling stars. Dodging them again, I roll over and slide beside Mario.

"Fun stuff, huh?"

"Not really." Mario watches as Glaucus ducks into his shell and deflects the third stone. "What now?"

"Well, we're paired up now," I remind him. "How about we try a team attack?"

"Sure, let's."

Cupping my hands together, I crouch as Mario steps up onto them. Rapidly, I launch him into the air and charge forward.

Hopping up, I spew a series of flames at the shadow monster, lighting it up. It flails again as the shards take their places over his wounds, decreasing the cloud around it as they smother the flames.

Sailing down from the sky, Mario stomps down on the Monstar's head, slamming it to the ground. He kicks off and flies back, as I backpedal and catch him.

"Wow, that worked nicely!"

"Right?" I grin at his smile, and then place him down.

Unfortunately, the monster floats over and tackles us into the ground. I chomp at it, crunching a few stony bits as it yelps and flies away again.

Spitting out shard bits, I watch Goomphen jump up and spin around. He thrusts his head forward and bonks the Shaman on its head.

The third Shaman staggers back, but keeps its hand raised once again. Jasmine twists her nozzle and launches a fireball out at her foe.

However, the fireball floats up and is absorbed into the second flaming meteor. Again, the attack crashes down over them, but the soldiers manage to escape the attack for the second time.

"Hold ssstiillll," hisses the Shaman as it raises its hand again.

Pushing myself up, I check on Mario as Kamek leaps in front of us, blocking another star-stone barrage. Helping him up, he adjusts his hat and coughs, but is fine otherwise.

Past him and Kamek's shield, I spot Tech Guy block another orb of lightning. Ruby floats in front of him, morphing his shape.

Transforming into a Balloon Boo, Ruby rolls forward and launches himself at the Shaman, spiking his enlarged body off of its bucket.

The Shaman grunts and falters backward, as air spews out of Ruby's mouth and sends him flying back over to his allies. Olive catches him and holds him in place as the last of the air squeaks out from his mouth.

"Ha! Always wanted to try that," cackles Ruby.

"Yeah, but you should have hit him harder," calls Tech Guy, pointing ahead as the Shaman rises up from the ground again.

It lobs another ball of lightning at the three, which Tech Guy blocks again. With a sharp crack, however, his shield breaks apart as the bolts deal their damage.

"Ok, this…is pretty problematic," I admit to Mario.

"They are more resilient than I expected," he affirms. "What now?"

Before I can suggest anything, a massive stone hurls through the air and breaks through the Monstar. I blink and turn to Kamek, who shrugs as Glaucus steps beside him.

Hearing the creature gurgle and yell out, Mario and I whirl around to watch it as a bolt of lightning strikes down and electrocutes it, zapping down to the stone beneath its body.

"Who…?"

Turning back, we watch as a Shaman with a long ivory mustache, in sapphire blue robes, lift his dark gloved hands.

Bursting from the land around us, petals blaze out and slice at the three Shamans and the Monstar.

Thrusting one fist forward and opening his hand, a burst of water flows from the Shaman's hand, blasting the patchwork Shaman through a nearby craggy wall.

Forcing his other fist forward, the Shaman slowly opens it before waving his hand upward. A pained yell sounds as we watch the Shaman in tattered robes burst into flames before rolling off and away from the battle.

Our apparent ally Shaman then slowly closes both hands as a purple aura glows between them. We turn to watch the bucket Shaman flaps his arms around as shadows swallow him into the ground before vanishing.

Glancing back, I watch the Shaman force his hands apart and outstretched as a white aura shines in the space they flew from. Hearing the strangled gurgle, I turn back as the monster is engulfed in a ray of light, fizzling under it.

Sending forth another burst of water, the Shaman whips the last of the Monstar's shards away, preventing it from reforming as the water clears the trail.

Slowly, my troops regroup around me and reform a defensive position as the Shaman leisurely walks to us.

"As cliché as I imagine it sounds, I have been expecting you," he greets as his arms disappear into his robe. "Allow me to welcome you again to Star Hill."

Most of us remain silent, as we exchange awed and bewildered expressions with one another. Then, Mario steps forward. "You're…are you—?"

"Merlon." The new, elderly Shaman nods. "Yes. I am."

"We've got a lot to talk about, then," I interject.

"Indeed, but not here. Come, we have a bit of a climb ahead of us." He turns and begins to walk away from us, but halts before looking over his shoulder. "Ah, yes, you were correct about the path you had selected."

Nodding as he strokes his long mustache, Merlon continues onward, while the rest of us gape at him. With many questions remaining, we march after him, up the trail to Shooting Star Summit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gracious, did you manage to survive that? Great work! Who's up for more reading with author's notes? Anyone? Hm? I forget how many people read this extra stuff below.
> 
> Now, where do I even begin with all of this? Well, I suppose from the top, since that seems like a good place as any. Yes, Bowser had a nightmare eerily similar to the ones that Mario had. But was Bowser right about Mario's curse being infectious? Perhaps we'll find out, all in good time.
> 
> Next up, the Loyalists! So far, they're underdeveloped by comparison, as they still do have more to do. However, I wanted to expand on each one and give them a moment in the spotlight. Maybe they're more interesting, but considering that they're less important, I suppose that is to be expected.
> 
> Anyway, Star Hill! It's not a big deal, but I've been waiting to get here. Star Hill appeared three games, & all are Mario RPG games. In each game, the location looks different, so making a possible canon depiction of it difficult to decide on. Instead, I just took each of the three and mashed them into one combination of the trio! Fusions are fun!
> 
> The Shamans are a species that appears in several Mario RPG games. As stated, Shamans are very isolated; they're also very protective of such privacy. They will attack anything they deem hostile, and the typical route to Star Hill does not involve boats. Also, if you see Bowser, you can imagine that trouble's coming. As for three Shamans that nearly barbecued Bowser's team and started a secondary war? Tribe guards! Sorry, I tried; there was even a red and green one with a bigger green one.
> 
> But, let's get into the settlement Shamans! Alistair was the real meet-and-greet fellow of the group. Weird way to roll out the wagon, what with getting his robes speared and then alerting the hamlet guards about trespassers. Yep, he's a great guy. The other important fellow was Chieftain Vi, my poor attempt at referencing a certain mage user from another video game series…just consider the colors and headgear, this is an easy one. It was just…so fantastic. He was a bit rude, though to be fair, his people were attacked. In the end, he also turned out as not being so bad. Maybe.
> 
> Now, completely separate from those Shamans were the savage Shamans, the trio that attacks at the end. If you played Super Mario RPG, then surprise! Their attacks were based on the ones used in that game. Their appearances were also meant to be based on the enemy Shamans shown in that game, but with some extra creative details, because I'm crazy. Oh, real quick, the shadowy monster that appears with them, called Monstar? It appeared in Paper Mario; the creature in that game is a bunch of Star Kids, but I made it a creature of its own here, because it looks cool.
> 
> Lastly, Merlon shows up! If you've played any Paper Mario game, then yes! He is that old, fortune teller dude. Now, it's never outright stated that each Merlon is a Shaman in any of the Paper Mario games, but because I checked the wiki, that's what he'll be here! Also, the whole "tribe members named for their jobs" bit comes from one of the Paper Mario games, again while referencing Merlon, so that. Anyway, he's an ultra powerful Shaman, taking down the foes that Mario, Bowser, and pals faced off against. Hopefully that fight sequence played out well, short as it was. More on him…next time!
> 
> Fluff end of it; I didn't want to be too distracting with it, since there a lot going on this chapter, but Bowsario had some quiet moments together. And Mario now has additional inspiration on how to get Bowser's attention even more. Yaaay, nightmares!
> 
> Writing style as present perspective, continued from the last chapter? Well, it was the introduction to Star Hill; I wanted surprises to be in play, at least for a little while. Hopefully it was consistent, because I caught myself making mistakes while writing it. Whoops.
> 
> Ok, ok, that's enough out of me already! Geez, that was way too much additional information to add in. But I wanted people not in the know to get my clever little ideas and references, because I'm crazy. Woo! Lots of reading and text for everyone! Fun, right? …To be honest, if you're this far in, you probably should enjoy reading. But I digress.
> 
> Feedback is really good, and I've been depraved of it for a while, though I did manage some on this site, which is good. Still, reviews or messages would be really helpful, if you can! Comments or criticisms are welcome, and I will answer any additional questions, if you have any more. Other than that, congrats again, this chapter has ended! And no worries, the next chapter will continue along with Mario and Bowser's adventures on Star Hill. What will their encounter with Merlon bring about? And will he be able to help Mario? We'll find out, next time! Thank you again for reading and following this story!


	33. An Exorcism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario and Bowser meet Merlon, a powerful Shaman that could be the key to ridding Mario of his curse. The road to get there, however, is not so easily reached…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Star Hill shenanigans have arrived! And this chapter isn't quite as long as the last, so that's the good news! Or…the bad news, I guess? Um…the real news is the content that was added in the chapter, yaaay!
> 
> Let's go see what nonsense Mario, Bowser, and the rest face in this chapter!

Through the dim halls of Bowser's Castle, a short figure, cloaked in red, fluttered quietly by. It made its way up the stairs, emerging at the rooftop.

Flying over, it paused to find Junior, who sat by the table his father had left outside. He quietly doodled on a small piece of paper, but turned as the creature flew closer.

"Mini-Kamek!" Junior placed down the pencil and smiled.

"Sir, that's degrading to call a Toady," complained Mini-Kamek.

"With the five Toads in the dungeons below, and given who you look more like—"

"Young sire, my kind looks like any Magikoopa."

"Whatever, Toady, I'm sticking with Mini-Kamek," snapped Junior. "And I'm ordering you to accept it!"

Sighing, the Toady nodded. "As you wish, my Prince."

"Good. Now…" Junior pulled Bowser's wand out from the other side of the table, and pointed it at the small Magikoopa. The propeller on his head spun as he flew away from the prince. "Oh, relax! I need to get you on board the ship that Papa and the others took."

"Why, sire?" The Toady shook his head. "Master Kamek ordered me to keep a sharp surveillance on you."

"He ordered that for all of the Toadies," deadpanned Junior. "As if I don't have enough subjects watching me around here."

"It's for your own good, young sire."

"Yeah, sure." Junior shrugged. "Anyway, you need to tell Papa to come back home with Mario and Kamek as soon as he can."

"Home? Here?" The half-sized Magikoopa shook his head. "Why, sire?"

"Because I don't like what the Koopalings are planning," explained Junior. "And if something big happens with them, if they do something to the Toads, we could have a big issue break out here."

"So, you'll have me bring them back?"

"As soon as they help Mario, yes." Junior lit up the wand. "They're at Star Hill. I don't know where, so you'll need to figure that out once you leave the ship. Can you use any magic?"

"Not much, sir."

"Then you'll need to be careful, and consider anyone there who isn't with Papa to be an enemy," cautioned Junior. "Ready?"

"Ah…I suppose."

"Great, see ya!"

Casting a portal open above them, Mini-Kamek floated up and through it, teleporting away. Junior quickly closed the portal and glanced over the edge of the roof, seeing no one else. Nodding to himself, he went back to his drawing.

* * *

**[Mario]**

Silently and swiftly, Merlon guided us forward along the lavender, leaf-coated trail. Bowser's troops surrounded us still, with four each on either side, and two trailing Kamek behind us. Bowser kept a relentless glare locked onto the elder Shaman, concentrating on finding a flaw in his movements, anything to suggest duplicity.

Though, I studied this Merlon as well, curious about his abilities and what set him apart from the other Shamans. Unable to spot anything from his visible appearance, I hastened my pace and fell in line alongside him. Quickened stomping alerted me that Bowser would be nearby, not that there was much distance between any of us.

"So, uh, Merlon," I started up, "Would you be able to tell us more about—?"

"Please hold on for a moment." Merlon quickly patted my shoulder, charcoal black gloves over his hands. While ethereal like the Shamans before him, there's a bit of power behind the tone as well, firm, and less expected of an older individual. "I'm certain you have much to discuss with me, but we still need to get to a secured location." His hooded head glanced upward. "Hmm…no, not here. Must be further…"

"What's that?"

"Oh, just me trying to anticipate the savages." He shrugged, as if it were no major threat, as if we hadn't struggled against them earlier. "Mm…this way."

Guiding us to massive dark blue stones, Merlon strolled over and waited as we made our way over, ushering everyone to stand under the overhang.

Watching Merlon as he gathered everyone, I looked him over. He wore red pointed shoes, which almost seemed like slippers. Though his sapphire cloak over most of his body, there was a slight gap to show light yellow robes beneath its baby blue hems. Pinned to his outer robes, under his ivory mustache, was a green orb with a bright, golden star coated over it. With his hood pulled over his head, the only additional facial features were his eyes, a shimmering yellow.

"Are you looking for something, Mario?" I blinked and shook my head. Merlon stared back at me, and then chuckled. "Staring so closely might make your lover jealous of this old fool." He gazed past me and winked at the Koopa King.

"W-What?!" Bowser blushed and stomped over to us. "What did you—?!"

"Fortune telling is more than just a parlor trick for my kind." There was a glint to his eyes that made them appear just slightly brighter. "Besides that, haven't you grown more comfortable airing your relationship yet? After all, your whole castle knows."

"Um…not quite everyone is aware," I corrected.

"Ah, the Greater Mushroom Kingdom," realized Merlon. "Forgive me, I imagined that it was public knowledge already." Nervously, I turned to Bowser, whose eyes had widened, mirroring mine. "There's no cause for alarm on that matter, unless…oh, well, perhaps there is." Turning back, we watched Merlon tug on his mustache. "Still, you seem to have stalwart supporters here, as well as the young Koopas back at Bowser's Castle."

"W-Wait, h-how does he kn-know all of that?" Goomphen bounced forward, shaking.

Koopella lifted the spear, though pointed it up instead. "Have our defenses been compromised?"

"He reads fortunes and tells the future," interrupted Bombkin. "You should pay more attention to these things."

"Future, huh?" Nix licked his lips. "Sounds tempting to learn more about. What do you think, Cutie Pie?"

"That is still not my name," deadpanned the Paratroopa.

"Enough, all of you, over here," ordered Kamek, as they slipped away from us, further down the boulder's overhang.

Again, Merlon chuckled, as Bowser lowly growled. "Keep that infamous temper in check, King Bowser," cautioned Merlon. "Now, if you don't mind Mario, please spread your arms and legs apart."

"Chief Vi already checked his curse," snarled Bowser.

"Yes, but I would like to have a look at the spell myself." He turned to me. "If you please, Mario. The sooner, the better."

Nodding, I lifted my arms and slid my legs apart. Merlon lifted his hands, glowing in an aqua aura. I catch Bowser's narrowed gaze, clearly bothered to watch the aura slip across my body once again.

Faster than Vi's spell, the aura's color quickly shifted to red. Merlon nodded and began to wave his hands back and forth, as if he were passing a ball between them. Slowly, the red aura flashed and faded as Merlon reached close to my chest.

"Hey!" Bowser trudged closer, with a claw ready to strike.

"Hmm. Powerful."

The Shaman ignored Bowser, instead pressing his left hand against my chest. He lifted his right hand, pushed my hat up, and pressed that to my head.

A pain seared through my body and I winced as he scooped his hands, tugging them away from my body. Both Bowser's and my eyes widened as a dark purple aura is pulled from me. Merlon hastily rotated his hands, combining the aura into a sphere.

"Powerful indeed," murmured Merlon. A faint, but agonized screaming sounded from the swirling orb.

"Wha…What is that?!" Bowser shook his head, claw still frozen in its position to strike. "Is that the curse?"

"This is the physical form that I've morphed it in, yes," clarified Merlon. "If disturbed by any means, unshackled, then it will flow freely. How curious, this spell…it was a good thing that you ventured to me."

"So, that's it?" I clutched my sore head and chest, as if I still had some kind of tether from the orb. "Is it out of me now?"

"Mm…momentarily." The elder Shaman studied at the curse sphere, twisting his wrist to look around it. "If this isn't treated properly, the one that cursed you can easily summon it back in its place, or replace it."

"Then get rid of it!" Bowser roared.

"It's a little more…involved that," explained Merlon. "And a bit more time consuming than a simple harvest."

"If there's more to it, then get on with it, and explain the rest," snapped Bowser.

"Not here," insisted Merlon. "We're in the open, and more savages are around. Considering how well your troops held up, they might survive the battle, but not without paying a toll." He turned his head and leered at Bowser. "After coming all of this way to save Mario, would you really want to chance making things worse? If a Savage Shaman hits either of us while I'm preoccupied with this curse, well…the results will be unpleasant and disastrous, to put it lightly. Deadly, if that gets my point across about severe consequences."

"…Fine, got it," grumbled Bowser, as he folded his arms. "So, what now?"

"We continue to my home. It's safer and a secure environment for the curse's full removal."

"Done." Bowser nodded. "Let's go."

Slowly, the Shaman shook his head. "That's not quite so simple either."

"Why not?" Bowser scowled as Merlon turned back to me. "What is it?"

"My apologies, Mario, but I'll need to place this back inside of you." Merlon lifted the dark orb, and I frowned. "It's only to safeguard it while we travel back to my home. Once there, I will have it taken right back out of you."

"What?! No! You're not putting him through that again," thundered Bowser. "He's not taking that damn curse back!"

"It must be kept safe, or else it could dissipate while we complete the trip," reasoned Merlon.

"Then…give it to me," insisted Bowser. "Mario's been through enough hell."

"Wait, no, Bowser, you can't—"

"Why not?" He forced a smile at me. "You've had it for long enough. And I'm not immune to those nightmares, so I might as well take this for the time being too."

"Definitely not," I reaffirmed. "You've got more than enough to deal with."

"Actually, it is best if Mario takes it back," noted Merlon. "This already has a sharp bond to his thought patterns, so it's better to return it, rather than pass it off to someone else."

"Do it," I blurted before Bowser could argue again.

"Very well." Twisting his hands over the sphere, Merlon gathered it around his hands and pressed them back against me, with curse crawling from him and back into me. "Done. Now, let us continue our ascent and get that back out of you once more."

Briskly and undeterred, Merlon shuffled back out to the open.

"What the…?" Kamek hurried over, and then past us. He whirled around and pointed past us. "Ruby, Olive! Keep up with him!"

"As you command, milord!"

"Ohoo…of course, sire."

Flying off, the Boo and the Blooper rushed after the Shaman. Kamek observed me, gently tapping where Merlon had pushed and pulled the curse from.

"Fascinating," he murmured. "N-Not that…I mean, if there were a better way…oh, forget it, and I apologize, Mario."

He strolled back to the other troops, rounding them up, and we marched forward, following the trio ahead of us. Bowser stormed forward, still angered by the earlier interaction. I reached up and touched his arm, which he relaxed and wrapped around my shoulders.

"Sorry."

"What for? We're almost done with this."

"Not soon enough," contended Bowser. "And I don't like sticking around this guy for so long. We need him, but he's keeping secrets from us."

"Maybe, but I don't think he's doing it for some nefarious plot," I decided. "If he had ulterior motives to use against us, he wouldn't bother helping us to begin with, now would he?" Bowser shrugged. "Either way, I think he really does want to get out of the open. Besides, we should be fine for the rest of the journey."

"Because he seems so powerful, or because the curse is contained?"

"Well, both of those helped," I agreed. "But what helps more is the amount of security that a king and his top sorcerer set in place for us."

With a smirk, Bowser chuckled and pulled me closer to him. "Ha, well that does help, doesn't it?" His smile faded a bit, and he shrugged again. "Though, I suppose that you could handle this kind of stuff on your own, right? It's not your first perilous journey against insurmountable odds or anything."

"True, but it's always easier when I have company."

Toothily grinning, Bowser's movements had a little more bounce to his steps, his spirits lifted. He cupped his left hand over mine and squeezed it a bit. I reached behind him to hold his back, but since he had me so close to him, I couldn't lift my arm and ended up grabbing his tail instead.

"Ah…ha, sorry," I muttered as my face flared up.

"For what?" He blushed a bit as well, but his beam broadened. "I know how much you like it."

"Y-Yes, but—"

"Don't be shy about it." Bowser snickered. He slid his hand from mine and over to my waist. "And maybe I could too, if you—"

"If you two don't mind," interjected Kamek, loud enough to hear from behind us. "I'm walking right here, just so you know."

Scrambling, I pulled my right hand away from his tail as he slipped his back over my left. After a moment, Bowser let out a stifled laugh, while I buried myself into him.

Further up the mountain trail, another savage Shaman jumped out. Merlon merely spun his wrist around, causing a vortex to rush around the opposing Shaman. Barely waving his hand, Merlon's spell flicked the Shaman flying off from our path and further down the hill. He then continued walking, unfazed from the sudden attack.

Curious to check on him again, I lifted Bowser's arm off of me and jogged ahead to Merlon's side, until I fell in time with his steps.

"You have many questions," he murmured.

"Can you blame me?"

"Not at all." He chuckled and barely glanced at me through his hood. "You seem to think there is a familiarity about me, as though we have met before."

"Have we?"

"Us specifically, no. You have met other Shamans, perhaps a local fortune teller that shares my name, but not the individual here before you." Merlon lowered his arms and allowed for the cloak to drape over him again. "You still can't seem to shake a connection between us."

"Not really," I admitted. "I don't understand it, nor how you recognize it."

"Ordinarily, I'd give a hand wave response of 'precognition allows one such as I to have keen insight into the feelings of others before they even recognize themselves,' or something terribly mystifying." He chuckled again, amused by what I realized was his form of humor. "Truthfully, however, I do think that we're somehow connected. You and I were most certainly fated to meet one day. There's just some kind of attachment that binds a hero to an oracle, beyond our control. It's strange, and yet, I find comfort in it."

"A lot of people do," I muttered.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to remind you of your underlying stresses." Merlon turned his head again, this time looking past his hood…or, at least, that I could see his bright yellow eyes this time. "That part is exhausting, without a doubt."

"But…?"

"Nothing in particular, just the bond we're meant to share," clarified Merlon. "Somehow, I feel more at ease finally knowing you. You seem very capable, and yet, still open to be tutored to more beyond your comprehension."

"Um…I'm afraid that I don't follow."

"Never fear. You will learn, as you have, time and again." Once more, he turned away from me and strode past me. "Excuse me for a moment."

Shards of ice came flying out from behind indigo stones, darting through the air at each of us. In a scooping motion with his hands, Merlon raised pillars of fire to melt the flurry of ice.

Another savage Shaman zipped forward, tears on its robe. Scooping his hands together, Merlon summoned a whirlpool beneath the second savage. Whipping his arms across his body, the water rushed over the side of the path, taking the savage down with it.

Following up on this, an orb of lightning flew out at Merlon. The elderly Shaman merely sidestepped the attack and let it soar away into the sky past him.

Channeling a ball of light into his hand, Merlon held his hand up to release it, and it sped off from the direction the lightning originated from.

A flash and an explosion went off, with a savage Shaman flying from behind a blue stone on a cliff, sailing over the side and flailing its arms and feet around.

Shaking my head, I whirled around as one more savage tackled Jasmine to the ground.

"Can we really not do this right now?!" The Snifit squirmed and wrestled against her opponent, keeping it away from her nozzle.

Merlon simply walked over and grabbed the air with his fist. Gasping, the savage clutched at its throat, as it choked over nothing we could see.

With his free hand, Merlon opened it up and forced it ahead of himself, knocking the savage away with an abrupt burst of wind.

Yawning, Merlon strolled back over to me as Ruby helped Jasmine up from the dusty path. "My apologies, but those nuisances would have been time consuming if I let it happen another way. What were we discussing again?"

"Um…the…uh, ability to learn…more?"

"…Ah, yes, quite. Yes, always more room for that, and you'll certainly do well, when the time comes." He patted my shoulder and shuffled forward again, leaving me behind as I watched him in awe, mouth agape.

"This is only making me more mistrustful of him," grumbled Bowser as he approached me. I rolled my eyes, took his hand, and pulled him onward.

Further along the trail and around a bend, we approached a blue star-shaped stone that held a faint glow. As I stepped past it, I could have sworn there was a flicker to it, going a bit brighter then fading. Straight ahead before us was a…cave entrance.

I froze. Bowser slowed just a couple of steps ahead of me, with Kamek and some soldiers stopping around us.

"Mario?"

My boyfriend glanced down at me, first with a raised brow and then bit his lip. Nix came between us and waved his hand in front of me.

"Anyone in there?"

"Nix, please." Bowser took the black Rex's hand and moved it down. Nix grabbed the same hand and he began to bounce around while squealing as Tech Guy dragged him from my sight. "Mario, are you—?"

"Is there another way around?" My voice broke out, no anxiety buried. "This way doesn't seem very…safe."

"Regrettably, this is the only route home," returned Merlon. "There's an annoying dripping within, but we'll be able to get through it easily."

Shifting my sight above the cave, I searched for a climbing alternative. But the craggy wall only seemed to go further up, with no easy jumping points for myself, let alone anyone else that struggled with the climb more.

Kamek crept next to Bowser and whispered, "Am I missing something here?"

"It's about the nightmares," explained Bowser. "This is where I could die."

Adjusting his spectacles, Kamek pivoted to the cave and let out a laugh. He then walked over to me. "Mario, you have nothing to fear. With my spells, should anything even so much as attempt to threaten our king, it will be taken out within seconds."

Patting me with a smile, he strolled past us. Bowser walked over and rested his hands on my shoulders, lightly massaging me.

"The old fart has a good point. Was he in the dream?"

"No. Besides the two of us, no one here was."

"Good, then we're all set." He grinned and held it for a moment, but I remained stiff. Sighing, Bowser took my chin tilted my head to focus on him. "Come on; we won't let a few rocks stop us, right? You're almost there, almost better."

"Just…don't stop, don't wait for anything," I managed. "Don't bother protecting anyone, and just focus on getting out of there."

"Come on, Mario," he argued. "I can't do that, not with you around—"

"Especially with me around," I fired back, harsher than intended. "I can look after myself." Catching a hurt look crawl into his eyes, I quickly added, "At least with this, I know I can." He still held back a pain in his eyes, so I placed my hands on top of his. "We're not at your castle right now, and I can't…I can't watch you…I won't let you lose your life because of me."

A tear slipped from my eye, and I blinked, finally aware of my watery vision. Quickly, yet gently, Bowser brushed it away, and caressed my face with his hands. Squeezing my eyes shut, his scaly knuckles lightly glided over my eyelids, wiping away what he could. Opening my eyes again, I saw his smile, his face leveled with mine. Kneeling. His hands still cupped my face as I reached for his.

"You won't."

Simple, a tiny and fragile vow, yet he knew that I wanted to hear it. Wanted, needed. Either way, he kissed the top of my head and guided me forward.

Stepping inside of the cavern, I glanced around at the stalagmites, and then up to the stalactites. Everyone's footsteps seemed to echo around the place, as did the dripping that Merlon loathed, but nothing appeared to be too dangerous.

Gripping his hand tightly, Bowser and I walked along the cave, behind Kamek, Koopella, and Goomphen. Nix, Glaucus, and Tech Guy were behind us still, and my cheeks burned up at the realization of how public my breakdown was.

"Why?" I hissed it quietly to myself, and quickly clamped my free hand over my mouth.

"Something wrong?"

Bowser's question rang around the cave as my heart very well could have stopped. He observed the panic grow in my eyes, and gazed upward at the stalactites. Nothing moved.

"See? All good."

Again, the words vibrated around the cave's walls, yet still, nothing else rumbled, no rocks came collapsing over us. Exhaling and letting my shoulders drop, I nodded and proceeded to the end with Bowser.

Outside, Merlon threw a punch at the air with his fist, launching a stone into…what must have been another savage, but I wouldn't know for certain, as the body flew out of sight. He whirled back to us as his hand faded into his cloak.

"Everything all right?"

"Fine, I'm just…panicked."

"Precautious," corrected Tech Guy. A lie, most definitely from the intellectual Fly Guy, and yet he floated ahead, as if he stated facts as always.

"He beat me by a second," grumbled Bowser.

Smiling, we walked forward and continued after Merlon. Around another bend, some scattered pink and blue flowers came into view as the path ascended. The further up we hiked, the more indigo trees and violet grass appeared. Though the air grew colder, and the ground harder, no snow or ice was in sight.

"Are we…getting closer?"

"Oh, yes, it shouldn't be much longer," confirmed Merlon.

We ventured past more plants, as they appeared to gather in abundance further along the way. Bowser's troops straightened up, more alert to their surroundings, but no one rushed out at us.

"There must be a savage lurking behind one of these trees, no?" Glaucus walked behind the rest of us, waiting for something to jump out. "This would be an ideal location for an attack, comparatively, wouldn't it?"

"Perhaps," agreed Merlon, "but after one too many incidents with my granddaughters, who adore plant life, well…perhaps they finally learned to stop using these locations as hideouts."

"Incidents?"

"Well…let's just say the girls have a way with…the language of flowers. And trees. Vines. Roots. Branches, bushes…you get the idea."

This only made Bowser's forces more wary of the location as we continued. Bending down, Bowser scooped up a violet that had been uprooted and held it out to me.

"Here, it still seems pretty nice," he observed. "And you can take it as a promise that I'll be by your side, too."

Taking it by the stem, I rolled it around in my hand. Small, feeble, yet he was right: it was still beautiful.

"If that's so," I murmured and studied the ground, "I should find one to give to you."

"One we can share is plenty."

"It's more for the meaning behind it."

Striding ahead, I bend over and picked up a few uprooted violets tangled together, some blue mixed with the usual ones. Glancing over my shoulder, I held them up for Bowser and watched as he turned his head, grinning toothily.

"Lovely," he purred, "but…I think you should keep searching."

Processing what he was gazing at, I turned around and stood up. He deflated as I shoved the violets into his chest, and grabbed them as spun away to keep walking.

"Aw, come on!"

"We were having a moment," I mocked, hiding my red cheeks as he stomped over to my side.

"Yes, quite the show," teased Glaucus.

"One that I was enjoying," added Nix, with…I think he licked his lips louder than he meant to.

"And now you made me sound as much of a deviant as yourself," complained Glaucus.

"Don't feel ashamed," countered Nix. "Deep down, nearly everyone is."

"That's really unlikely," contended Tech Guy.

"You sure about that?"

"In regards to being as perverted as you, I can't fathom it."

"So, if I go get Jasmine—"

"Don't."

"Only proving my point," taunted Nix.

"Should we get Koopella's opinion?"

"…Please don't."

"Oh, but I thought—"

"Ok, you win," relented the Rex. "I'm just trying to maintain my good mood now."

"…Over the hand?" Tech Guy sighed. "Seriously?"

"Hush! He's right there!"

Bowser and I exchanged puzzled expressions and then glanced back at the three. Nix raised his shoulders and awkwardly waved to us…though, he seemed more concentrated on Bowser. We waved back before chasing after the rest of the group ahead of us.

"Ah, it's up ahead now," called Merlon as we caught up. "This way."

Trekking past the trees and into a clearing, we came upon a large and round white stony house, with a purple roof and some wide windows. Wooden beams supported an overhang above the blue door, with a purple roof of its own. Further beyond the house, the hill seemed to continue, leading up to the summit itself.

As we neared it, faint cream stars seemed to be painted on the building, which actually had a lavender hint in its coat as well. A bit of chipped paint on the roof indicated a teal paint job before the purple.

There was also a picnic table past a small garden assortment of plants. A glowing lantern was hung along the side of the door, illuminating the stone steps that led up to it.

"Welcome to this humble abode of mine," addressed Merlon, a little cheerier than before. "It's no castle, but it's a wonderful little place in its own right. Come, come, we'll see if we can stuff this lot inside."

He guided us over to it, and knocked on the door. Another Shaman opened the door, this one with a large blonde mustache sticking out from his hood, along with bright yellow eyes, similar to Merlon's. His cloak was indigo, which blended in well with the environment, and white robes beneath them. His shoes were orange, and his orb on his cloak was a red instead of green.

"Meet my son, Merle," introduced Merlon.

"Hello there," cordially greeted Merle. His voice, though as ethereal as the other Shamans, had warmth to it, though it matched Merlon's firmness as well. "My father did keep mentioning that we would be having guests soon, but he didn't quite specify just how many."

"Details," muttered the elderly Shaman.

"Do come in," invited Merle, as he opened the door a little wider.

I followed Olive, Ruby, Bombkin, and Jasmine inside before turning back to Bowser. He blinked at the doorway before him, quite smaller in size.

"Gracious, that simply won't do. Hold a moment!"

Merle lifted his soot brown-gloved hands together, with his fingers outstretched, but specifically making an "L" shape with the inner ends of each hand. His eyes glowed as he concentrated, slowly pulling his hands apart. With that motion, the doorway widened as the front of the house seemed to peel open. Merlon ushered Bowser in, as he and Kamek entered, followed by the remaining troops. Bringing his hands back together, Merle eased the doorway back to its original state.

"There we are, nice and easy!" Merle let his hands fade back into his robes and nodded to our group. "Hmm. Quite a good number of you, indeed! I suppose we'll need to make more cups of tea."

"Hmm? 'We?' Dear boy, I have many important matters to help them with." Merlon shook his head. "I'm afraid you'll need to ask the girls to help."

"Oh, no, they don't need to do that!" Merle scanned our group again, counting out the thirteen of us. "…Then again…perhaps so." He walked over to another doorway and glanced up. "Merlee! Merluvlee! Girls, could you come down and help your father? With…your grandfather's prophesized guests?"

Thundering down the steps, two more Shamans appeared. One wore an iris cloak with lilac robes beneath it, while the other wore an orchid cloak and periwinkle robes under hers. Both girls had long strands of blonde hair sticking out of their hoods, though the former had curly hair that swirled out and a swirled tuft on top, while the latter had hers straightened and a flipped tuft sticking out from the top. Both wore brown shoes and shared their father and grandfather's yellow eyes.

"Hi there, nice to meet you," the iris cloaked Shaman greeted, with a gracefulness to her tone. "I'm Murluvlee." The orb pinned on her cloak was fuchsia, along with a blue star not only on it, but also on a veil across her face as well.

"And I'm Merlee," the orchid cloaked Shaman chimed in, more cheery than the others had been. She too had an orb pinned on, mauve instead, with a blue star on it as well. Her veil, however, had a crescent moon shape embroidered on it instead. "We're twin sisters, if you couldn't guess!"

"What do you need help with, father?"

"Making tea!"

The sisters narrowed their eyes and exchanged annoyed expressions with one another. Merle sighed and shook his head.

"Three…two…one—"

"Father, couldn't you use  _magic_?"

"Yes, wouldn't that be  _much_  faster?"

"Can't we help grandfather bring them around?"

"Oh, grandfather, could we?"

"Girls, please," groaned Merle. "If you don't want to make tea, at least get the table ready. And the food platters."

"…Merlee, don't we have fortunes to read?"

"Oh, oh yes! And, ah, spells and scrolls to study!"

"Now girls, just help your father out for a little while," urged Merlon. "Do that, and I might let you two help with training later."

"Ooh, really grandfather?!"

"That would be fantastic!"

Quickly, the sisters darted into, what I presumed, was the kitchen, squeezing past one another and tumbling in. A clatter and several crashes were heard, as Merle tugged on his hood and mustache.

"Do you girls know what the opposite of helping is?"

"Um…this?"

"Probably this."

"Most  _certainly_  that," called Merle as he approached the kitchen. He groaned at the sight and smacked a palm against the side of his head before trudging in after them.

"Well, it's a bit crammed, but there's not too much more to the house that can fit everyone here," admitted Merlon. "If the rest of you could wait here while I take Mario—" Bowser cleared his throat. "…Mario  _and_  Bowser, that is, downstairs."

"There should be room for one more," piped up Kamek. "I'm curious to learn more myself." He turned and gazed at the crowded room, with the remaining ten troops staring at us. "Uh…Bombkin, you're orderly. You watch over the group until we come back up."

"Yes sir, Kamek sir!"

"Olive?" Bowser turned to the Blooper, who floated up.

"Yes, Great King Bowser?"

"Catch up on some reading."

"Absolutely, sire."

Merlon nodded and led us to the stairs. I lowered my eyes and raised a brow at Bowser. "Really?"

"Subtle, boy," mocked Kamek. "Subtle."

"Oh, both of you can shut it."

We walked into the next room, and looked around to find Merlon walking upstairs instead. Shrugging to one another, I started after him as he opened the door at the top.

"Merlow? We have guests, child." The elder Shaman chuckled. "Did you not hear the racket your sisters caused?"

"Am I fated to encounter them, grandfather?" The other voice I could barely make out, quieter than the others.

"Hmm. I would imagine so, but it's still polite to come greet them."

"As you wish."

Coming down the steps, a shorter Shaman, dressed in a midnight blue cloak and black robes, emerged. His cloak, unlike the others, dangled a bit too low, covering him down to the floor. A blonde tuft of hair was visible from the hood, along with the yellow eyes the rest of his family had, though his seemed…a bit dimmer. The orb pinned on his cloak was a pale blue, with a white star on it. He gazed quietly at us, and seemed to pull his cloak in closer to himself.

"Hello. I'm Merlow," he softly introduced, not quite as pleasant as the rest of his family. "As…you heard from my grandfather. He knows everything."

"Not everything, boy," corrected Merlon. "You know this."

"This is the exact day you predicted they would come."

"True."

"And my sisters just caused the great racket that distracted father."

"Also true."

"And I'm still upstairs, studying at the scrolls you've had me on."

"Very good." Merlon patted his grandson's shoulder, as the young Shaman flinched at the touch. "But, please, do help your siblings. And be cordial to our guests. There are several of them."

"More?"

"Yes."

Inhaling deeply, Merlow nodded and exhaled. He gazed at us once more before shaking his head and squirming past us, tripping slightly over his cloak.

"You'll have to excuse him," apologized Merlon. "I've given him more…advanced level work, recently. He's meant to have great potential…some day."

He walked down a few steps, tapped a few different stones on the wall, and the stairwell rumbled as it shifted, with the staircase now leading us down in another direction.

"Come along."

Merlon guided us down, and Kamek followed close behind him. Bowser and I watched the doorway that we past, watching Merlow peeking in before quickly shutting the door.

"Shy Guy level shyness," quietly joked Bowser. I nudged him as he chuckled.

"Very different compared to the others," I couldn't help but add, just as quietly.

Opening another door, Merlon stepped inside and waved his hands around. Lights appeared and we stared as the room brightened. Perhaps the widest room, bookshelves lined the walls of the basement, with books, vials, and scrolls decorating the shelves. A desk was around the opposite end from the stairs, covered with a large purple tablecloth, as well as numerous papers, scrolls, and books. It mirrored Kamek's Study at Bowser's Castle quite well.

Merlon walked over to the desk and gazed at the crystal ball on it. He nodded before turning to a bookshelf a few feet away, taking a round and empty glass orb from it and placing it on the desk as well.

"Same as before, Mario," he called out to me. "Just relax."

Nodding, I pushed my cap up a bit as Kamek backed away. Looking up at Bowser, the Koopa King frowned and waited a bit, but reluctantly stepped back as Merlon approached.

"Ready?"

"Uh…yes."

Lifting his hands, Merlon coated my body in the aura again, and then waved his hands around as it turned from aqua to red. He placed one against my chest and the other against my forehead. Pulling, he extracted the curse again, rolling it up into a ball shape. Carefully, he brought it to the empty container and sealed it inside. Woozy again, I staggered back, clutching my head and chest. Bowser moved to grab me, but Kamek was closer and helped steady me instead.

"So, that's it now?" Bowser folded his arms. "He's taken care of?"

"Not entirely," elucidated Merlon. "As I explained before, this does not eliminate the curse. I'll need to research it further and perform additional tests to determine where it came from and how to eradicate it from Mario's system entirely."

"Then what's the point of all this?!" Bowser growled and slammed his fist into his open palm.

"Well, for starters, Mario will no longer be experiencing dreadful nightmares," disclosed Merlon. "Or…no more lethal nightmares that happen when he suddenly passes out."

"How did—?"

"These symptoms are familiar to me," divulged Merlon. "It is from a powerful and ancient curse. Naturally, of course, as those spells are the more difficult ones to deal with when it gets down to it."

"And more a Shaman's specialty in handling than a Magikoopa's," muttered Kamek.

"Explain then," snapped Bowser.

"Of course." Merlon tugged on his mustache and nodded. "The name translates to 'Mare's Grip,' and it's an old curse, hailing from the king of the land of nightmares."

"That title sounds oddly familiar," I groaned. A sore pressure consumed me, weakened me, but there was a weightlessness to it.

"Perhaps you've encountered him before," noted Merlon. "Perhaps long ago, or once upon a dream. Either way, no one has heard of such a beast in years, so I would imagine that he's long gone now. The troublesome part is that his magic, hexes, and curses, still persist and last. Unfortunately, this has been passed on to other magic users that can use it today."

"So…this one was—?"

"One of a vicious variety," enlightened Merlon. "And a dreadful one, at that. You would be given nightmares of potential futures, each with violent encounters and bleak results."

"Are they accurate?" Kamek patted his wand and rested his free hand on my shoulder. "Earlier, I had assumed so, but Mario encountered a familiar obstacle today from his nightmares."

"What occurred in the nightmare is not exact," explained Merlon, "but fully possible of happening through altered events. For example, the people might be different that you traveled with in the dream, versus who you actually are with in real life. In the nightmare, everyone might have died, whereas during the real world scenario, anyone could die, but it's not guaranteed."

"So…what happened in my dreams," I managed. "That…will definitely happen?"

"Again, it's not guaranteed, so no." Merlon pulled on his mustache. "However, it could be, should the one who cursed you be the same person, or Shaman, I suppose, that manipulates events that you get involved with in the real world. It's a psychic link, almost, in which the culprit can essentially influence the victim into situations and acting under or out the curse's plots."

"Then how do we stop it?" Bowser glared at the curse in its container on the desk.

"It takes time," reiterated Merlon. "I will need to follow locator spells and strip this curse apart in order to deduce its exact origin on Star Hill and the one responsible for it. Treating it as is would simply lead back to the original origin point of the deceased king." Merlon sighed. "I promise, I will do all that I can to figure this out as quickly as possible, but no matter how skilled I am, no matter the urgency of the situation, the spells take time to craft and use. Even this curse needs at least a day to become calm, tame enough to bend to my will."

"Fine," grumbled Bowser. "But what about Mario's symptoms? The nightmares stop, but what about everything else?"

"No nightmares means that Mario is safe from being physically harmed by them," enlightened Merlon. "If he had any hallucinations before, those should come to an end as well. Latent magic might have been possible, though that should be gone now. There shouldn't be any moments where he'll feel dizzy or suddenly pass out, either, but again, spells are not the only things that cause those issues."

"So…what stays?" I shook my head, but doing so only amplified the pain.

"Your emotional state might be different from usual," noted Merlon. "Perhaps an increased irritability."

"And…what about the symbols?"

"…Symbols?"

"Recurring elements…in dreams or hallucinations that I might have seen," I clarified. "There was…a lot of moments on Star Hill—"

"Naturally, as it originated from here."

"But…that's not all." I exhaled heavily, feeling lighter again. "There was a shrine in a few of my dreams. And…a bird as well."

"Shrine? That could be the Star Shrine," murmured Merlon. "A bird? What kind?"

"Well…maybe not exactly a bird," I amended. "It was fire that was in the shape of a bird."

"A bird of fire?" Merlon jolted up and gazed at me, studied me intently. "Where?"

"Here, on Star Hill. Well, in my dreams, anyway."

"And what type of interaction did you have with it?"

"Um…it…the first time, I chased it, but, the other times, it seemed to fly around with me," I recalled. "Does that go away?"

Faintly, he uttered, "Phoenix."

"I'm sorry?"

"Perhaps that latent magic isn't quite out of your system," theorized Merlon as he hurried across the room, scanning the bookshelves. He pulled out a book and quickly flipped through the pages. "Perhaps…you have an underlying magic within you."

"Me?" I jerked my head back a bit. "Magic?"

"Capable of magic," illuminated Merlon. "Just as Bowser and Peach are, as many members of royalty are by wielding a magical scepter. You, on the other hand, have encountered transformative abilities based upon the powers of this land?"

"Ah…I guess?" Not certain of what he was getting at, I shrugged and thought for a moment. "If that's about using Fire Flowers and the other power-ups, then yeah, I've done that."

"Similar, yes," murmured Merlon. "You're Kingdom-born, then."

"We think? My brother and I might be, but we're not completely sure about—"

"That wasn't a question; it's a fact." Merlon nodded. "Regardless of your history, you carry Mushroom Kingdom blood within you. Those born within the kingdom have a potential to discover magical capabilities within themselves." He twirled his mustache around, flipping through the book, and then going over to the papers on his desk. "Your exact abilities are unknown, and could remain latent for life, but with the right methods, we can potentially unlock them."

"Wait, we…can?"

"Indeed." Merlon whirled back around to me. "With that, we can help you build a magical resistance to your body, enabling you to better counter this curse. Along with that, we can work at discovering just what type of magical prowess awaits to be unchained within you."

"Maybe we shouldn't," I countered.

"What?!" Turning, I was surprised at Kamek's sudden interruption. "Why would you  _not_  want to learn magic?"

"It corrupts," came my first response. "Look, you guys all have a deep history studying and growing with magic, so you know how to keep it contained. But I've seen it eat away at Peach, who doesn't use it all that often. Bowser, you typically don't either." I shook my head. "It's probably not the best idea for me to try it."

"Actually," challenged Bowser, "that's probably all the more reason you should."

"…Come again?"

"Mario, think about it. Peach and I are less disciplined in magic because while it runs within our families' blood, we can't channel it without an aid. From the way Merlon is putting it, it seems like…" Bowser turned to Merlon. "He can use it without a magic item, right?"

"He can be trained to, yes." Merlon nodded. "In fact, it may even be possible for you too, as well, but I'm not as certain of this."

"Doesn't matter for me, I can use my rod." Bowser turned back to me. "If you can learn what magic abilities you have, Mario, you can power yourself up more, as well as be able to guard yourself from this curse. Who knows what you could unlock? In fact, you learning magic could help us with resolving the current war going on."

"How?"

"No idea, but we don't even know what you might learn."

"True. But still…I don't know." I tugged on my cap. "I don't want to lose it like Peach can, or you, from over-stimulation of the spells."

"Self-control is all it takes to gauge what you can and can't do," persisted Bowser. "Trust me, I know we can make this work for you."

"In all honesty," interrupted Merlon, "it might not even be a major magical ability. It could be something simple, like minor healing spells or element generation. Nothing outstanding, but perhaps worthwhile to know."

"Ok, I guess that might be fine, then," I murmured. "But—"

"The benefits outweigh the hindrances, Mario." Bowser turned to Merlon and nodded. "How fast can you tutor him?"

"This too takes time," repeated Merlon. "However, I can teach him a few things if you choose to prolong your stay here."

"We need to wait on the curse anyway, so we might as well," agreed Bowser. "Mario, just think of how incredible this could be!"

Silently, I nodded, wrinkling my face at my decision being made for me. Still, I did want a stronger protection from the curse, should it be able to return. And honestly, I did want to understand just what significance that firebird had. Though I'm not sure it's the best idea, we do need something to pass the time.

Why not learn something new?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Famous last words? Definitely famous last words. …Not in my sense, in Mario's sense. I still have chapters to update!
> 
> But yes, Mario is partially free from the curse and will be learning a new magic skill, or maybe more. Or…maybe something completely mundane and not worthy of his time. How will that play out? It will be determined…later!
> 
> Anyway, if you would like to nominate Merlon as the most overpowered character thus far, good on you, and I'm right there with you. Dude just waves his hands and savages go flying. Like, what?! And just what exactly is going on with that cryptic "fortune telling, I know everything before you even arrived" vibe and act going on? Madness! But yeah, it was fun writing the "sagely mentor" type of character, since I don't get to use those often. Usually, I just have a big cast of characters running around and screaming about all of their problems! …Wait, that came out wrong. They have depth. WAIT.
> 
> Also, meet Merlon's family! If the names sound familiar, then good on you again! Merlee and Merluvlee are the other recurring Shamans within the Paper Mario games, though they're not always Merlon's relations. Merle and Merlow appeared only in the first Paper Mario game, when all the Shamans were still related. Here, I took that idea again, except that the girls are twins and probably a bit younger than most instances. It seemed like a fun idea to include Merlon's crew, and making them related was more fun than just a bunch of spell casters hanging out together, so this happened. Yay for Shaman families!
> 
> What's that? What happened with Junior at the beginning? Well, he's still concerned about the Koopalings, so he's sending a messenger to go fetch Bowser! For those that don't know, a Toady (Mini-Kamek) is a little henchman used in both the Yoshi series and the Mario series. They're basically mini Magikoopas with propellers on their heads and carry characters in groups of four or more…to their DOOM. (Behind those big "Game Over" signs, or something.) I realized that was one of the grunts that I hadn't included, so I added one in! But because I've got at least seven Toads running around, I will make the effort to refer to the Toady as "Mini-Kamek" throughout. And yes, this will probably be the only one used.
> 
> Gosh, it seems like I'm forgetting something. Those fan character dorks I keep including? Are they leaving any kind of lasting…no, huh? Ok. Admittedly, they had a role decrease here, since…well, Shamans. XD
> 
> Ok, ok, let's talk Bowsario. Want to know how to make Bowser an absolute raging mess? Gamble with Mario's life. Want to know how to make Mario breakdown into a crying mess? Threaten Bowser's life and leave the hero powerless. This is how we break a couple that's struggling to not only get together, but stay together in a world that likes forcing them apart. All the feels. Yaaay! …Oh, not yay? Not yay. Ok then.
> 
> But yes, I really enjoyed the comforting moments, like where Mario puts Bowser's worries at easy, or when Bowser calms Mario after his terrible déjà vu situations. And yet, Bowser insisting on Mario learning magic…getting a little too overprotective, perhaps? Or is he get a genius tactical set-up in the works? …Or maybe they're just really bored and will do anything to pass time. Who knows?! …It's me again, isn't it? Damn.
> 
> What will come of this new route explored on Star Hill? Who knows, but we won't be finding out much from the next chapter. Instead, we'll be going back to the Mushroom Kingdom! Remember all that nonsense that happened with Peach and Luigi, where they…oh, Luigi spilled the beans, right? Oh. OH. Oh geez. Wonder how that's going to work out. And the new couple might just have their first actual moment, instead of me teasing ships! Hooray! …Wait, I don't do that, honest. This is all just a big misunderstanding, I can explain, WAIT A SECOND!
> 
> P.S.: Did anyone see Merlon flirting with Mario? Omg, new OTP, right there. Totally. …Ok, I'm just kidding, that was me being silly. And to have a moment for Bowser to completely overreact while Merlon plays mind games. Because the old guy's still got tricks.
> 
> Well, usual stuff goes here: feedback is excellent and always appreciated, so please leave a message or review for me! I do answer those when possible. Comments, criticisms, and questions welcome!
> 
> And that's it, I've blabbered on forever, and it only gets worse next chapter! And I shouldn't make false promises when I don't even have the word count ready for that one. At any rate, thank you readers, for once again reading this fanfic! Hopefully, you're all still enjoying it so far.


	34. A Kerfuffle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Mario begins his training, Peach's emotions boil over from the shocking reveal she was given. Will Luigi and the others manage against her wrath? And how will Peach deal with other rising issues? Plus, someone else has a confession to make…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hew, I'm finally able to post the latest chapter. It was a lot to prepare, so I'm glad to get to it!
> 
> Now, this is one of the longer chapters, so prepare yourself for a long read! And a lot goes on, so expect perspective swapping and a good number of events to take place. It might have been able to be a split chapter…but nah, it's more fun to cram.
> 
> (Hey, I warned you at the end of the last chapter, so don't look all that shocked! …And I know some of you tough folks love reading long stuff anyway. You guys are hardcore. And that's really cool, honestly, as well as very appreciated.)
> 
> Ready for Peach, Luigi, and all the rest to strut their stuff again during their fallouts? No? Good! Because we're totally doing that anyway…right after a slight surprise opening. (Remember, I'm shipping trash. Ahaha…ha. Eh.)
> 
> So, buckle up for a long read, because stuff is totally going down. And it's better to just let you read it than explain it, so here goes!

**[Bowser]**

After Merlon's kid and grandkids served my troops, they helped pitch tents up outside for the group to rest in, since they claimed the house wouldn't accommodate everyone. More likely, they just didn't want to share their personal space, but I wasn't able to argue it.

However, while they were busy helping my servants get settled in, Merlon took Mario with him past the house. I ordered Kamek to keep an eye on everything around the house and tents while I chased after them.

Behind the house was another trail that led up the hill behind the place. Charging past a few large blue stones, I caught up to Mario and Merlon easily.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Honestly, I wasn't even sure which one of them I directed that at.

"While we have practiced magic around the house, repeatedly, I would rather Mario's first time be in a more…isolated environment," explained Merlon. "I thought I learned my lesson when Merle wreaked havoc as a youngster, but anything he didn't teach me, Merlee and Merluvlee taught me tenfold. First few magic sessions: outside of the house. Always."

"Huh…makes sense." With that in mind, I was wondering about where Junior practiced his fire breathing. Most of the time, I watched him go out, but knowing his eagerness…maybe I better not think about that.

"Is that what you did with Merlow?"

"Mm…yes." Merlon's body shifted just slightly as we continued walking, but anyone could tell that he was more rigid over that response. "He did well thanks to that."

"Did he practice alone?" It got my curiosity. "For his first few fire breathing lessons, I wouldn't let Junior out of my sight."

"No, no I was with him," recalled Merlon. "Anytime I wasn't, his father was. Sometimes, we even had visitors and additional students that we tutored. Rare, but it did happen."

"But…?" Something about the Shaman's hesitation piqued Mario's interest as well.

"We trained the boy diligently," rephrased Merlon. "Perhaps…too often, too hard. It's also much harder when you have both your grandfather and father watching over you, while your sisters have their time together, and you're…"

"Alone in a different sense," finished Mario. Merlon only nodded. "Sound familiar, Bowser?"

"Guess so. Didn't think we could really compare our situation to someone else's problems."

"Yours? How…ah, yes, only the Koopa Kingdom is currently aware of you two."

"And before they did, it was just the two of us," described Mario. "And it was very different before and after we told one another."

"True, I can only imagine…well, I suppose I could dip into your minds to experience it full force, but I think that your words will suffice."

"Dip into…?" I snorted. "You can't really do that."

"Can't I?"

Annoyed, I glared down menacingly at the old Shaman, whose beady yellow eyes only seemed to glisten with glee.

"At any rate," Mario piped up, "Merlow could use a change-up to his current formulaic life, couldn't he?"

"Oh, he will," assured Merlon. "Hence why we're so focused on his training now."

"He's a boy," I murmured.

"And it won't be long before he becomes something more."

Mario and I exchanged unnerved expressions, but from Merlon's quickened pace, we both knew the conversation was over.

After the end of the short hike, we made it to the summit of the mountaintop itself. Glancing around the flat and open peak, I noted a few markings in the ground, with some shaped like Kamek's hexes, while others were shaped like stars. At the center was a larger star carving, free from any trace of grass or leaves. Gazing out from the top revealed the other six peaks past thick clouds in the midnight blue sky.

"Beautiful." Mario smiled and took in the plateau's view as well. Beaming, I slid over to him and scooped his hand into mine. He turned to me and chuckled a little. "I've been hoping to share a sight like this with you."

"Aw, you want to make me blush, huh?" My cheeks heated up, but Mario's were a bit flushed as well.

"Forgive me for intruding," interrupted Merlon. "But, we are here to train Mario, not court him." He stroked his mustache as Mario giggled. I lowered my eyes at the Shaman while he nodded. "In fact, I believe you two are far past the early stages of courtship, yes?"

"Excuse us for taking in your exotic backyard," I snapped. "Didn't realize a minute was so crucial."

"Ah, but it is," Merlon's voice echoed. "All minutes are precious."

Making his way to the center, Merlon stood directly in the middle and clasped his hands together, outstretched straight near his waist. Muttering an incantation, the ground beneath him began to glow a creamy color. The light spread around the surface of the peak beneath us and spilled over the top. Slowly, Merlon separated his hands and raised them apart in a circular motion. A heavy wind picked up and roughly blew past Mario and I while we watched. Reaching his shoulders' length, he then began to close the distance between them again as he brought them above his head. Clasping his hands together again, Merlon's eyes flashed as the light faded. The powerful wind that was gusting past us before slowed to a halt.

Blinking, I glanced down at the ground at a violet leaf that appeared to be mid-tumble, skating next to my foot. Squinting, I noticed that it was still moving, if just slightly. Hurriedly, I spun around to Mario who was staring at grass that slowly wavered in the weakened wind. Fidgeting, I turned my attention to Merlon.

"What did you just do?"

"Unleashed a time altering spell," described Merlon. "For a limited amount of time, the world around us will seem slowed while we function at a normal pace. However, time around us still moves at a normal rate, and we will appear to be moving much quicker than usual, or supposedly possible."

"So…is time slower, or are we faster?"

"A mix of the two, or based upon perspective, either."

"With power like this, why would the Shamans ever retreat to Star Hill?" I shook my head. "Couldn't you fathom the possibilities of this type of magic?"

"Saving lives or taking them? That's what you have in mind, correct?" Merlon shrugged. "Unfortunately, the only one currently capable of altering time like this is yours truly. Mastering it takes at least decades of practice, and even then, stopping time itself is nigh impossible."

"And…you're how old?"

"Older than many that live in this kingdom," determined Merlon. "And my age has fluctuated thanks to using this spell more often than needed."

"You've gotten older?" Mario folded his arms. "That seems like a steep price at using this spell."

"Older, sometimes younger, though shifting between ages has done more harm to my body's adjustments than desired." Merlon's hood draped further over his head as he looked down to his trembling hands. "Such as this, and other similar spasms."

"Why would you use it then?" Mario stepped forward. "If it causes this much trouble to you, then surely its benefits no longer outweigh its hindrances."

"Yeah, I doubt that one," I contended, to which Mario shot me a dark glare. "What? It's probably still useful."

"Quite, actually," agreed Merlon. "Doing this will allow us to progress Mario's training in a shorter span of time. However, it does only last for a short span of time, and will take a few uses to help you progress."

"Wait, we don't need to do this." Mario shook his head. "Merlon, this is killing you. I don't need to learn magic, nor do I need to learn it quickly."

"With the wars that rage across the Mushroom Kingdom, wouldn't you want to do what it takes to end it?"

"I've done more than enough killing for that," admitted Mario. "If I'm given this choice, I'd rather not."

"But Mario—"

"Bowser, I'm not going through with this!" He glared at me as my mouth parted, thoughts lost. "Merlon will be doing enough by working on ridding me of the curse entirely. I don't need him to shorten his lifespan so I can learn how to shoot fireballs without a Fire Flower!"

"Ah, that would be a good place to begin," decided Merlon. "Very well, shall we?"

"Are you even listening to me?!"

"Yes, and I do appreciate your kindness and compassion, Mario." Merlon lifted his head a bit and shook it. "But you are fated to be in very demanding times ahead. If I can ease the burden even slightly, I would prefer to do so." He laughed. "And seeing as how I cast this spell without properly consulting you first, I would prefer we get started now."

"Did you plan this?"

"There are many plans I have devised," revealed Merlon. "Unfortunately, how they stand up against destiny's plots tend to be against my favor overall. Now, allow me to attempt to make this one of the exceptions."

Merlon strode from the star-marked center and scooped the air with his hand. Shaking his fist, a fireball soon encased it. Pulling his arm across his body, he held it as the flame crackled. Then, he shot his arm forward and the fireball soared from his palm.

Paying little attention to the fireball sail over the sky while I gaped at it, Merlon shuffled over to Mario and picked up his hands. Tapping quickly at his fingers, and then across his arms, Merlon murmured another incantation as Mario's arms quaked under a soft white glow. It faded as Merlon finished and he nodded.

"For this session, I've accelerated your dormant magical prowess," explained Merlon. "You will need to properly develop it, but that takes more time that we do not have. Now, mimic the motions that I made to conjure and launch the fireball. Start like this," Merlon instructed as he scooped the air again. "It's almost like you're catching a ball, perhaps barely noticing it. Focus and picture the flame, however. Try it."

Carefully, Mario exhaled as he mimicked Merlon's motion. He stared at his hand and slightly shook his hand, moving to the next step.

"A little harder," insisted Merlon. "You need to feel the force of that flame."

Harder, Mario shook his hand, but instead of a simple fireball, a heavy flame engulfed him down to the wrist. Jumping, Mario waved his arm around, and Merlon quickly doused it with an orb of water. Part of me wanted to immediately bark every insult I could muster at the Shaman, but I clamped my mouth shut, only growling as I seethed.

"Too hard, my apologies." Merlon picked up Mario's hand and studied it, noting no traces of burns. "It needs to be quick as well. A quick, rough shake." Merlon patted Mario's hand. "Don't be afraid of mistakes or catching fire; believe me when I tell you that I've seen and handled many problems before this." He sighed and slumped down a bit. "Especially with Merle. Teaching your son everything you know is demanding, if even possible. Him being one of my earlier students didn't make it any easier. But, it was a learning experience for us both, and he was eventually able to develop his own abilities for those he could not pick up from me. Meanwhile, I've taught others since and know the various and necessary precautions." He patted Mario's shoulder. "Again."

Nodding, Mario mimicked the scooping motion and shook his fist quickly. The flame appeared, but quickly went out.

"Too fast?"

"Correct." Merlon glanced at the rolling leaf, which seemed to pick up speed a bit. "Once more."

Performing the motion again, Mario managed to create the fireball again, and shot his arm forward. It flew a couple of feet away before burning up in the sky, not traveling far at all. He blinked and slouched as Merlon nodded.

"For that, you needed to properly contain it for a bit, and channel its power through you before releasing it," explained Merlon. "But we'll pick that up again later. Let's try to summon a bolt of lightning."

Raising his right hand with his index finger extended, Merlon zigzagged it down as he lowered his arm. Quickly, he raised his opened left hand into the air as his right hand pointed ahead. A bolt of blue lightning rocketed down from a cloud and struck the circle that Merlon had pointed to. He nodded and turned to Mario.

"A little easier, perhaps. Go ahead."

Tilting his head, Mario glanced at his hand. Picking up his right hand, Mario extended his index finger and slowly zigzagged it down.

"Quicker," commanded Merlon. "Again."

Making the motions with more haste, Mario lowered his right hand quickly and thrust his left hand into the air, still clutched into a fist. He blinked as thunder rumbled from the sky, but nothing came down from the clouds.

"That's fine," soothed Merlon. "Just remember that your hand needs to be open for lightning. And don't forget, your right hand mustn't be lowered completely, as it needs to point out where you want the lightning to strike."

"Otherwise he'll fry himself, right?" I snickered.

"Actually, yes."

"What?!"

"Once more, Mario."

Before I could protest, Mario raised his right hand and created the zigzag motion again. He lifted his left hand carefully, opening it as he went, and pointed at a circle in the ground. With a rumble of thunder, a thinner bolt of lightning came down and crashed onto the desired position, but with sparks flying from its heavy burst. Flapping his arms around, Merlon cast a cloud of dust around and quelled the sparks until they ceased.

"Impressive," complimented Merlon. "That's a more advanced technique, and one that you might be able to perform with more training. Obviously, the thunderbolt should be more powerful and the sparks more controlled, but that was still a good attempt at it, regardless of intentions."

A flash forced us to cover our eyes and shield our faces. Momentarily, as the wind whipped behind us, we lowered our arms and watched as the natural environment returned to its normal speed.

"Time's up for now," muttered Merlon. He sighed, but picked himself up. "No matter, we did manage a couple before it ended. We'll try again later on. For now, we'll rest a bit." Merlon turned to me and winked. "For now, you should enjoy the view with your impatient boyfriend over there."

"Hey, I was pretty good during the actual lesson," I argued.

"True, and I thank you for it." He nodded and walked away from us. "We'll practice again a little later. Enjoy yourselves a bit while I work on the curse."

Snorting, I turned to Mario, who had stepped away from me and gazed over the cliffs. Raising my brows, I strode over to him as he sat down.

"If you were expecting to get that all on your first attempts, don't be so hard on yourself over not doing so," I started.

"It's not that." Mario coughed. "Well, not only that."

Sitting down beside him, I noticed that Mario was panting, and a bit heavily. Confused, I placed my hand on his shoulder, which had been shaking before I gripped it.

"Did it take that much out of you?"

"More than I'm used to, I suppose," explained Mario. "It…I can't even describe it."

"Feels like your putting your soul into it, right?"

"…How—?"

"Kamek talks about it, often," I clarified. "Though, I have dabbled in magic myself. Typically on the darker end, but details. Point is, I do understand that it takes energy to work with spells."

"That shouldn't be a problem to me," contested Mario. "I have plenty of energy."

"Which you normally focus onto more physical labors," I enlightened. "I do the same, though you're usually working on calculated acrobatics while I'm just punching really hard at everything." He laughed a little and I smiled. "Channeling your efforts in a new way takes time to adjust to."

"Sure, but it's time that I don't really have anymore." Mario heaved a sigh and lightly shook his head. "With what Merlon mentioned, and now that I've been thinking about it, I really need to get this right. For everyone's sake."

"Aren't you being a bit hard on yourself?"

"Bowser, I need to be."

"…Oh, right." I huffed. "Big hero ego cutting in, huh?"

"Ego?" Mario turned and frowned at me. "Now you think I'm narcissistic?"

"In a sense, yes," I admitted. "Granted, I'm far worse than you are. But…you're still looking at the big picture like you have to take care of everything yourself."

"If I don't, then who can? Who will?"

"By this point, alternatives I suggest will get you to shoot them down, because you're so far involved with everything." I rubbed his back and smiled. "I'm trying to remind you that you're not alone anymore."

He stared quietly at me and then threw himself into me. I toppled over a bit, but laughed as I steadied myself into his embrace.

"Why do you do so much for me?"

"By this point, you should know."

Nuzzling his head, I pulled him into me while he massaged my sides. We pulled back as I lost myself in eyes momentarily, and then we gazed out at the mountainous violet view once more.

* * *

**[Luigi]**

Our return trip from the Forests was quieter than most travels. Daisy guided Peach along forward, whispering for a few minutes to her periodically, but nothing that lasted. She had given me a few instances where she looked like she was going to come back and start a conversation, but went against the notion and remained silent. Princess Peach remained silent most of the time, casting a fair share of glares at me when she thought no one else was looking. Yoshi had kept a noticeable distance from me, which was odd considering his usual closeness. Only Birdo spoke to me the whole way back, and even then, it wasn't often, nor did it seem like her usual self.

"So, that King Boo fight," she would bring up. "Too easy, right? You guys always get through these bosses without trouble?"

"Not always, but we were a bit lucky that he had focused too much on the illusions deterring us."

"Right."

That would be followed by silence for a long stretch of time.

"How do you think Toadette and the Toads held up?"

"I'm sure we'll find out."

"Yeah, ok."

Silence.

"You holding up ok?"

"At the moment."

"Ha, good point." A pause. "We'll hang in there."

On that one, I imagined she was reassuring herself more than me. Honestly, that point seemed like a delusion by now.

Going forward, nothing would be fine, not for a while.

Exiting past the last trees and climbing a soft grassy hill, the castle waited for us down below, with several Toads noticeable in the distance. I glanced back at the last tree and exhaled in relief, forgetting that I knew better.

Coming to a halt, Peach put her hands together, and I barely spotted Daisy's Regal Rings now on her fingers. Pulling them apart, she spun around and jabbed her Royal Scepter forward at me. Eyes widened, I backed up and held up my hands defensively.

"Peach, what the—?!"

"Don't, Luigi." Her eyes watered up as her voice broke. Somehow, though, she maintained a firm resolve. "This is hard enough as it is."

"Princess, stop!" Yoshi hurried over, and Peach backed up a bit, aiming her wand at him, but with more than enough space to redirect it back at me. "What are you thinking? Why are you doing this?"

"We're compromised." A bit of anger latched onto her tone, still suppressed. "For who knows how long, you've been working against us."

"Against?!" If my jaw could hit the ground, it might have cracked through the earth. "We've been combating how many of Bowser's forces—"

"A well-kept charade," spat Peach. "No longer necessary, though."

"Peach, come off it," snapped Birdo. "You really think that Luigi would ever do anything to hurt you? And Mario? He would never."

"Just like he could never love the King of Koopas." Peach narrowed her glare against Birdo, and her wand trembled in her grip.

"Oh, don't act like I didn't try to soften the blow," grumbled Birdo. "Seriously, Peach, I explicitly dropped that one on you practically as soon as you saw me."

"You knew I wouldn't believe you."

"Uh…no. I expected you to freak out about it." Birdo rolled her eyes. "Remember how disappointed I was by your reaction? Recall that you convinced everyone that I was a liar."

"Double deception that you plotted." Peach wrinkled her face in agitation. "I must admit: that played out well."

"…Please tell me you're joking."

"This is nothing to jest about."

"Ugh."

"Peach, it honestly shocked me to the core too," I tried to level with her. "It took me a while to actually comprehend that Mario could ever develop genuine romantic feelings for Bowser, let alone have them reciprocated."

"A while? How long have you kept this from me?"

Biting my lip, I hesitated while meeting Peach's icy glower from the other end of her scepter. "Since…the Deserts."

"Only that long?" Peach scoffed. "Traitors should at least be honest with how long they were deceiving me for."

"There was no deception, Peach." I shook my head. "I withheld the truth because I couldn't believe it for myself and needed Mario to confirm it, which he did before we went to Seaside. Bowser and his son cemented it during the brawl on the beach."

"And after that?"

"Look, the Glaciers was definitely not the place that we could have discussed it," I reasoned. "I was still in shock over it being true, on top of having failed to keep Bowser from kidnapping Mario again. And then…well, everything got out of hand there. But, I'd hope this explains the moments that I lashed out myself."

"Not even close." I'm with Birdo, is she serious? "The entire journey through the Forests, long before that moment in the mansion—"

"It was on my mind!" I dug my hands into my head in sheer frustration. "Really, Peach, I did want to talk about it!"

"Clearly, you did." She shifted her gaze momentarily to Yoshi and Birdo before settling back on me, though still wary of either of them.

"We forced it from him," explained Yoshi. "Luigi really didn't want to tell anyone about it, and I was hurt that he kept it from me too." He concentrated on Peach, now looking…annoyed? Yoshi? "And for good reason, it seems. Look at how you're acting! Birdo already nailed it, but let me reiterate: Luigi would never do anything to hurt you, Peach. He wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone. And Mario is definitely not—"

"Mario has already clearly committed treason," interrupted Peach. "As have the three of you."

"Peach, you're being beyond unreasonable."

"Am I?!" She thundered and I shrank back with a shudder. Yoshi and Birdo had done the same, also intimidated by the rage that was coursing through Peach. "I believed in him! I believed in that man that would so valiantly face what should have been impossible odds, conquering what I believed were mighty foes, all to help his friend! How silly of me, to honestly think that he would do it for so little reward. Do you know what kind of a fool I was, opening up to him? I've shared with him I don't know how many secrets about myself, let alone my kingdom! And now? He goes to side with my greatest enemy, the biggest threat that my family has dealt with for generations? Because, what, 'they're in love?' Do you honestly expect me to believe that he hadn't been planning that from the beginning?!"

Glancing at the worried Yoshi and unnerved Birdo, I sighed. There was no hope of breaking through to her. If any of us had felt betrayed over Mario's relationship, or me keeping it secret, it was going over tenfold for Peach.

"Imprisonment should be considered mercy for you," hissed Peach. "Execution would justly be in order for such a harsh treachery of allegiance."

"You would so quickly slay your friends, Peach?"

Each of us jerked up and turned to the no longer hushed Daisy, as she stepped forward and rested her hand on the Royal Scepter.

"Daisy, move," ordered Peach. "You were repulsed as well with such shocking news."

"It isn't exactly something that I considered possible: Mario, let alone anyone, able to fall in love with a monster like Bowser." She folded her arms, almost holding herself together. "And…I'll admit, I was spurring you on, with my comments on the way back. But I gave you my rings to help calm you down, not threaten our allies."

"Think clearly, Daisy," snapped Peach. "These people are not our allies."

"Who has been at your side from the beginning?" Daisy shook her head. "Not even the beginning of this journey, which by the way, started with Luigi. But from the very start of everything, guess who fought for you? Both Luigi and Mario."

"All a sham."

"How? Mario hadn't even met Bowser right away," reasoned Daisy. "That's the story that you always told me. Your remaining subjects pleaded for his help, and without hesitation, Mario answered that call."

"He must have…he couldn't really be…"

"Mario, Luigi, and even Yoshi have defended this kingdom for years now, Peach," continued Daisy. "Alongside you and your Toads, they've worked against Bowser, not with him, not for him."

"That changed!" Peach opened her mouth to protest further, but nothing came to her mind.

"It did and it didn't," decided Daisy. "Loving your enemy is not the same as siding with him, Peach."

"Then explain to me, Daisy," spat Peach. "What makes you so resolute in believing them now, all of a sudden?"

"Because all the while I was going over it with you and myself, it hit me. Mario's goals are definitely not aligned perfectly with Bowser's."

"How so?"

"Your hero bothered to rescue me," reminded Daisy. "Sarasaland has long been considered small and worthless of a prize in Bowser's eyes. Perhaps it will be on his plots for conquest should he seize the Mushroom Kingdom, but I don't think he's ever really given it deep thought." She smiled. "That didn't stop Mario's decision to rescue me from Tatanga's invasion, though. He fought in a battle that was otherwise pointless, to save an unworthy ally of your great kingdom. There was nothing for Bowser to gain from that, and if anything, Tatanga would have made a potential ally for him. Instead, Mario rescued Sarasaland and started to expand and restore the relations between our kingdoms. Prior to that, we hadn't been as close for a few years, and Mario helped us become better friends today than we've ever been."

To that, Peach remained hushed, unable to counter the argument.

"This is a seriously confusing development, and I'm with you on that, Peach," established Daisy. "But don't think that no one else is, or that they're suddenly betraying you now. Luigi and Yoshi have never willingly worked with Bowser before. Birdo doesn't even like him that much."

"He can be egocentric," agreed Birdo.

"And most of all, Mario is your friend through thick and thin, Peach." Daisy pushed the Royal Scepter down and rested her other hand on Peach's shoulder. "Everything that he did for my kingdom in that one instance, he does for you without fail every single time that you need him. Repeatedly, he's there to save you, from Bowser or anyone else that would hurt you. Peach, Mario loves this kingdom, and he loves you too. Don't ever doubt that."

Tears slipped from Peach's eyes and Daisy wrapped her arms around her. The blonde princess sobbed a bit, but she forced herself to stop after a minute.

"Peach?"

"It's fine, I'm fine." She wiggled out of Daisy's arms and sighed, then glared at us. "She raises a good point, but that doesn't mean that I'm letting you all off for lying to me."

"Naturally not," muttered Birdo.

"What was that?!"

"Look, Peach," I cut in, "you can snap at us until the sun falls behind the clouds, but don't we have a castle to get back to and more of the kingdom to save after that?"

"Mm…fine."

Falling back into our uncomfortable silence, we marched down the hill and toward Peach's Castle, with even more tension between us. I watched as Peach slipped off the Regal Rings and returned them to Daisy. This time, I listened carefully as they spoke.

"How'd you get my rings to work for you?"

"Magic."

"No, seriously Peach. Those are supposed to work only for people of my blood, just like the Royal Scepter does for you. So…how?"

"Well…I placed a spell over your rings before we left, in case I need to quickly summon my scepter." Peach shrugged. "It was supposed to be for a last resort in case you were in danger or…ah, that doesn't matter. We didn't really need it."

"Wait, but, you can just…cast a spell that enables you to use my rings?"

"Just to summon my scepter. It was more like using my magic through your tools. So technically, I'm not able to use your rings, but rather, the magic I cast over them."

"Oh." Daisy nodded. "Well, as long as I'm not even more inept at this stuff than I realized, that's fine, I guess." They continued quietly for a while as we approached Peach's Castle. "So…are we bringing this up to anyone? The whole—"

"No one needs to know right now." Peach stopped again and spun around to the rest of us. "None of you will speak of the incident on the hill, unless you truly want to invoke my wrath. I don't want anyone in this kingdom to know—"

"That their princess has a hot streak and a bad temper," mocked Birdo, "or that her champion knight is gay?"

"Correct on both," hissed Peach. "So, discuss neither to anyone outside of the five of us." She sighed and shook her head. "If not for my sake, then for Mario's."

Unable to answer, I only nodded. Peach returned it and we continued walking up to the castle, passing the bridge and heading up the trail to the grand red doors.

"Princess Peach! Wait a minute!"

Gasping, Peach twirled around and pushed past Yoshi and Birdo as we turned around to find Toadette racing toward the castle. Peach kneeled down as Toadette rushed over and threw her arms around the princess, sobbing heavily.

"Toadette? What happened?"

"It's terrible," wailed the pink Toad. "Peach, I failed you, and I'm so sorry."

"Please, Toadette, calm down." Peach gently stroked the top of Toadette's head, and then pulled back slightly as she wiped away her tears. "Tell me, dear. What happened to you? And where are the others?"

"They're…oh, Peach, they're prisoners now!"

"What?" Peach clasped her free hand over her mouth. "No…all five of the Toads?"

"Y-Yes!" Toadette sniffled. "We were there, we made it to Bowser's Castle. And we managed to get through m-most of it, not getting caught by the guards almost the whole way." She shook her head. "B-But while we looked for Mario, we couldn't find him or Bowser. And when we made it back, to the roof where he left with Red, we…we were captured by a Magikoopa."

"Gracious, Toadette."

"That's not all, Princess." Toadette brushed her face and sniffled again through her sobs. "We were b-brought before the K-Koopalings, who took charge while Bowser was away. They taunted us into a fight with them, but…we lost." She cried harder for a moment, but forced herself to continue. "Blue sacrificed himself to get me out and now…now all five of them are prisoners too!"

Frozen only for a moment, Peach pulled Toadette back into a gentle hug and patted her. She then stood up and faced the rest of us.

"Change of plans. We're leaving right now."

"Are you sure, Peach?" Daisy folded her arms. "We just got back, so we should probably regroup—"

"There's no time," insisted Peach. "Mario…was a prisoner of high value. Regardless of how things have turned out, he would be kept alive. Those Toads? Their value isn't placed as high comparatively." Peach tightened her hold on the Royal Scepter. "Their lives are in jeopardy because of my decision to send them."

"Peach, no, please!" Toadette wiped away her tears. "We accepted—"

"An order from your goal-driven princess," Peach murmured. "I caused their capture, and it was a gamble that I shouldn't have taken. Granted, I didn't have all of the information I needed…" She glared at me, but let it fall quickly. "But this is still my fault. I…I'm failing this kingdom."

"Please, Peach…"

"I won't lose anyone from this conflict." Peach recomposed herself. "We leave now, and we are rescuing those Toads!"

"As much as I would approve of such noble actions," called an elder's voice, "I cannot allow you to leave right now."

Everyone whirled around to the main doors as Toadsworth stood before them, hands rested atop his cane. He frowned as Peach stormed over to him, angered again.

"Toadsworth, there are lives at risk!"

"Aren't there always, my princess?"

"Whatever you want to detain us for, we won't—"

"It isn't me that wishes to detain you," revealed Toadsworth. "It's your Royal Council that insists on seeing you before your next departure in this campaign."

"Now?!" Peach whipped her wand across the air and back down. "Now they want to take stock in my life, in my efforts to save this kingdom and stop Bowser?! They choose now, when there are even more lives at risk, when I have Toads to rescue?!"

"Unfortunately, yes." Toadsworth reached up and tugged on his mustache, as disheartened as the rest of us became. "You presence is requested immediately upon your return, which…is now, thanks to several Toads spotting you and hearing your voice."

"But I don't have the time—"

"They will force you to make it, princess." Toadsworth shook his head. "You know that they'll do whatever it takes to keep this balanced and sorted—"

"Oh, I'll sort it out," barked Peach as she forced the castle doors open. "I'll sort their heads around until they're so scrambled they won't be able to see straight, let alone think!" Storming inside, she let out one last shout: "Of all times, honestly!"

Sighing, we moved to follow her, but Toadsworth stepped in our way.

"Master Luigi, you, Master Yoshi, and Miss Birdo are permitted to roam the castle as usual, but this meeting is for royalty only." I opened my mouth to protest, but Toadsworth shook his head. "I'm sorry, but this isn't up to me. Princess Daisy, your presence is requested as well, however."

"Naturally." She groaned. "Sorry guys. I'll try to help Peach speed things up."

"Please do," begged Toadette.

With a reassuring wink, Daisy waved to us as she followed Toadsworth into the castle and through the halls. And the four of us were left alone in the pink, red, and golden royal halls of Peach's Castle.

"So…now what?" Birdo tugged her bow around and folded her arms. She then glanced down at Toadette. "Do these things usually last for a long time, or…?"

"It varies. Some are quick, others take…a while." Toadette tugged on the bottom of her vest. "I really hope this isn't a long one."

"Same." She turned to Yoshi and I. "Well, boys? Any suggestions?"

"Frankly, I'm still trying to figure out how we're going to keep working with Peach," I confessed. "She hates all three of us now, and me most of all."

"Hate?" Toadette shook her head. "Luigi, why would she—?"

"Something big happened in the Forests," intervened Birdo. "Peach can tell you about it later, though. It should definitely come from her."

"Oh…ok." Judging by the tone, she wasn't really pacified by the response, but she wasn't about to argue the matter. "Well, if you guys want, we could go—"

"Actually, I was hoping to speak with Luigi for a bit," piped up Yoshi.

"Sure Yoshi, what do you need?"

"Hum…privately, actually." He nervously watched as Birdo and Toadette narrowed their eyes at him. "N-No offense, it's just…about something sensitive."

"Yoshi, darling, I'm perfectly capable of treating anything you speak of with the utmost care," declared Birdo.

"Thank you, Birdo, but…" Yoshi fidgeted his fingers together. "It's really something that I need to keep between us."

"More secrets, how lovely," mocked Birdo. "Those always end well." She sighed and hung her head. "Fine, Toadette and I will make ourselves scarce then."

"We could do that, but…well, if Luigi and Yoshi really want privacy, they're going to want to follow us to the guest room," suggested Toadette. "Honestly, there's always a Toad or two listening to any conversation going on in the halls."

"Right, ok," decided Yoshi. "Lead the way, then."

Toadette nodded and turned to the right, with Birdo walking alongside her. Yoshi and I followed, though he made a point to avoid eye contact with me, even as I waved to him while we strolled. Confused, I shrugged and listened to Toadette and Birdo, who chattered while we strode through the halls with pink banners that had Peach's crown and heart crest embroidered onto them.

"So, you'll be sticking around then, Birdo?" Toadette turned a corner and looked up at Birdo, who rolled her head back and forth before nodding. "That's good, and nice of you. But—"

"You want to know why, right?"

"Doesn't it have to do with you wanting fame?" Toadette smiled as Birdo shot her a quizzical look. "It's nothing wrong, not for your case. You want people to accept you, BIrdo, and people are stubborn with how they view others."

"They think I'm a freak," softly moaned Birdo. "It's one thing to have a giant snout where eggs get lobbed out instead of a normal mouth, but then people flip out over my gender. I just want them to notice who I am beyond that."

"The most important thing, I think, is that you and your friends realize that, Birdo," reasoned Toadette. "Sure, it'd be great for the rest of the kingdom to accept you, but that may never happen, even if you prove yourself to be a great hero. People are just picky like that." Toadette shrugged. "I know that the world doesn't make it easy with accepting you, but really, as long as you love yourself, and as long as you have great friends to keep around you, then…you can manage anything."

"Aw…thank you Toadette," sniffed Birdo. "It's…that was so sweet. I know it too, but it's just helpful to be reminded of that." Birdo rubbed her snout and nodded. "Actually, even if I wasn't in this for becoming famous, I still think I'm officially in too deep to just leave you guys now. And wish those precious Toad friends of yours captured, I absolutely cannot abandon you in your time of need!" We rounded another corner as Birdo scooped up Toadette's hands. "I promise you, Toadette, we will rescue each of them and bring them back here safely! And I'll do everything I can to make sure that you get here with them."

"Birdo…thank you." Toadette held the tears back in her eyes and giggled. "Gosh, listen to us! It's been so long since we've had a chance to chat, and now…we're so serious."

"Everything seems to be getting that way these days," murmured Birdo. "No matter. As long as we stick together, we'll be able to handle it!"

"Yep, that's exactly right!"

Both of them giggled together, and I couldn't help but smile too. As we turned past another corner, a Toad with a cooking apron walked by with a cart. Atop it was a bowl with a fresh green melon in it, as well as several treats on the shelf below. Eying it, I waited for Yoshi's long red tongue to start attacking it, snatching all of the food he could in one gulp.

But as we turned again, I watched the full food cart get pushed away. Blinking, I whirled back around to find Yoshi staring down at his feet, not at all thinking about the large array of desserts we just passed.

No way was I going to let that one slide, though.

"Is everything all right with you Yoshi? They walked by with a melon. You love melons."

"Well, yeah," agreed Yoshi, "but they, uh, probably needed it for a dish of some sort."

"Since when has that stopped you?"

"Um…not usually, but I guess…wasn't interested in it? I—"

"Yoshi? Not interested in melons or food at all?" I shook my head and chuckled. "There something definitely off about you now."

"Maybe." Yoshi sighed and turned away from me again.

Puzzled, I frowned as we walked ahead to the guest room door that Mario had previously stayed in. Toadette and Birdo halted while Yoshi and I walked forward.

"Guess that's it for us traveling around together, at least for now," realized Toadette. "Um…Birdo and I will probably wander around for a bit. Maybe we can all meet in the Throne Room or the Garden when we're finished? Peach will probably go to either of those as well, once her meeting is done."

"Sounds good," I concurred. "See you guys in a little bit, then."

They smiled and waved to me, but avoided eye contact with Yoshi as they turned and walked away. While I turned to Yoshi, he opened the door and stepped silently inside of the room. Sighing, I followed him in.

Mario's guest room was mostly the same as I remembered, with the red carpet and curtains, blue bed sheets, white furniture, and a single window. Remembering that I had confronted my brother here before we left for Seaside, I wistfully sighed, wishing that we had done something nicer together.

Trudging over, Yoshi slumped down on the bed and sighed, slowly kicking his feet. He was strikingly more down than I had ever seen him before, and now I was worried for the poor dinosaur. Folding my arms, I stepped over and leaned against the nearby wardrobe.

"Ok, Yoshi, this is really serious, isn't it?"

"Yes." There was hardly anything to his response. No vigor, no cheer.

"Then, let's begin."

He nodded and picked his head up, clearing his throat.

"So, uh, I was wondering if we could…talk about those…nightmare visions from the mansion."

"You want to revisit that horror show?"

"Yeah. But, um…more specifically, mine. Though, we could go over yours as well."

"If you want, sure."

Nodding, Yoshi inhaled and exhaled quickly. "So, um…you still seem really nervous and uncomfortable about Bowser and Mario together, I noticed."

"What gave you that impression?" I laughed a bit, but Yoshi didn't join in. "Um, sorry, I didn't mean to…anyway, yeah, I'm still a bit unnerved by the concept myself."

"Why though?"

"Hey, don't be so accusing about it," I joked. "Bowser still is technically the enemy, remember?"

"Oh, right." His white cheeks became tinged with a slight green, brighter than the rest of him. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." I shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I'm actually…growing used to it, more as time goes on."

"Really?"

"Yep. Facing off against the illusion really helped me take it down a peg, I suppose." I gently smiled, but Yoshi forced himself to match it. "Now that I keep thinking about it, maybe it won't be so bad for them to be dating. If anyone can keep Bowser from causing mayhem without actually continuing this war, Mario is probably the best option for that."

"Mm…I guess so," agreed Yoshi. "Ok then, that's fine. I was just…curious, I guess." He seemed to grow pale now, and I frowned. "My turn, then."

"The famine?" I leaned up from the wardrobe. "What did you want to talk about with that? Do we need to head over to Yoshi's Island? Toadette can work with Peach and the others to save the Toads, but you and I could—"

"No, Luigi, it's fine," eased Yoshi. "Things over there haven't…gone too far out of control. We could still use relief, so, I'll need to appeal to Peach on that again, but it's not too dire just yet."

"So no Dry Yoshis then?"

"Hopefully not."

"Got it." I nodded with him. "So…this is more about the famine visions we watched in the mansion, huh?"

"Actually, it's…not just the famine." He tapped his hands together quietly and bit his lip. "They specifically called me a 'mute' during that fear induced illusion."

"Right, because you wouldn't talk about it."

"True, but…that the only subject that I wasn't talking about."

"So…what else are you holding back on?" He slouched down, and then sank into the bed a bit. His cheeks were still bright green, quite unhealthy looking. "Yoshi, please. You can tell me anything."

"…Somehow, I think I'm about to tell you the one thing that I really shouldn't talk to you about."

"That's ridiculous."

"It's not the only thing you'll consider ridiculous, but…I don't want to keep this in any longer." He tightened his hands into fists and heaved. I waited for him to suddenly lose it all over the floor, but he kept himself together. "You may not realize it, but you actually seem better now that more of us know about Mario and Bowser."

"Not so loud, please."

"Sorry." We turned to check the window, which was shut and had no onlookers peeping in. "Anyway, I…wanted to tell you something related to that." He waited a moment and chuckled. "It's funny that we're talking relationships between a human and some type of a, uh, reptile, because, in fact, I…um."

"What is it?" I adjusted my legs a bit and leaned slightly forward in curiosity.

"…I…I'm in…love…I think."

"Really?" Further in I leaned, listening intently.

"Pretty sure. And, um, it's…with you."

"Huh?" I blinked and tilted my head in confusion. Yoshi's cheeks quickly went from green to red. "Wait, could you clarify? I'm confused."

"Luigi, I'm falling in love with you."

"…Wait. What?"

"There isn't really any other way for me to phrase it—"

"No, no, I think I…actually, no, I don't really understand." I shook my head as my heart hammered. "What do you mean, Yoshi? You're in love with…me?"

"I…yes."

"Since when?"

"It's just…been budding up lately," he admitted. "Both you and Mario were always pretty cute to me, but I…I don't know, it's just…working with you so closely lately, and knowing that Mario's interested in Bowser, I guess I…started developing a crush on you." He giggled, a little louder than I think even he expected, since he squished his cheeks in a bit. "After all, you're really kind and patient with everyone, Luigi. And you're always so attentive to people's needs. Mine especially. So I just…you know. Well, now you do."

Yoshi kicked his feet a little harder now and waited as my mouth fell open. Twice today, I've been expecting it to crash through the floor. I waited for him to suddenly laugh and explain that he was joking, or for someone to announce that the entire day has just been full of crazy shenanigans with how everyone has been acting. I wanted it to be a dream that I could suddenly wake up from, but as I wiped some sweat away from under my cap, I knew it wasn't.

"Uh…Luigi?" I jumped a bit and bumped back into the wardrobe. Shaking my head, I gazed into Yoshi's dark blue eyes. "Could you…um…maybe react? Or, better yet, tell me how…how you feel?"

How did I feel?

"Sorry, Yoshi." I shook my head. "This is…I can't really process this fairly."

"…Does that mean you're not interested, or that you hate me?" Glumly, he sank further into the bed, letting his head sink into his hands.

"Yoshi, I could never hate you," I affirmed. "I don't know anyone that could. But I, honestly, don't know how to feel about…us."

"…So…?"

"Give me some time to think about it." He nodded while I slouched now. "I'll let you know when I come up with an answer."

"Right," he hollowly responded. "Ok."

With nothing else to offer, I suggested, "Shall we go find Toadette and Birdo? Or try meeting them at the Throne Room? Or Garden?"

Blankly, without making eye contact, Yoshi nodded and stood up from the bed. I slipped from the guest room, with the blushing green dinosaur quietly following me.

That makes two confrontations that twisted my relationships in that room.

* * *

**[Peach]**

Toadsworth led Daisy and I to the lower levels of the castle. I knew the way, but he insisted upon bringing me in. We walked over to a secured golden door and Toadsworth knocked once, then thrice, and twice more. The lock opened and Toadsworth pushed through the door, to which we followed.

Inside my Council Chamber, four Toads waited at a long, red and gold rectangular table. They nodded as Toadsworth brought Daisy and I in. Looking them over, I held in an exasperated sigh. Of course they're all still here.

Seated on the far left was Toaditus, a Toad with a red vest and brown mustache, but he had golden spots on the mushroom top rather than red. Similar to Toadsworth, he wore a red bowtie. He barely seemed to notice my arrival, picking his mustache.

Next to him was Toadsandra, or Granny, as I called her. She wore spectacles like Toadsworth, as well as a burgundy sweater and lavender apron, matching the spots on her mushroom. She nodded slightly to me, with a soft smile.

To her left was Toadislav, the other elderly Toad on the Council that wore a long red robe over his green clothes. His white mustache twitched as I walked in, and he patted his mushroom's green spots before wiping his face with a handkerchief.

Finally, next to him was his son, Toadoric, clad in his long green robes with gold trimmings over his white clothes. His smirk stuck out from under his dark mustache, oddly pleased to see me enter.

Rolling my eyes, Daisy and I sat at the other end along with Toadsworth. Normally, a throne chair would be brought in for the monarchs, but of course, they forgot my seat. It wasn't just a slip of the mind though; they were making a statement.

"Welcome home again, Princess Peach," began Toadoric. "We trust that you will be staying here, this time?"

"Not at all," I replied, containing the rage that I wanted to spit at them with. These were the same Toads that constantly advised to keep me in the castle, the ones that never wanted me to go on this journey to begin with. "I still have a war to win."

"War? A princess of war?!" Toadislav shuddered and banged a fist on the table. "Inconceivable! You should be here, on your throne, keeping your citizens at ease."

"But—"

"Soldiers would be better suited for this battle against Bowser," murmured Toaditus absentmindedly. "No place for you, Your Highness."

"It's been my place for—"

"Much longer than need be, surely," cut in Toadoric.

"She has made splendid progress," admitted Granny.

"Indeed, Lady Toadsandra," relented Toadoric. "However, Peach should not be involved in this monstrosity. Just look at her, still holding her family's scepter—"

"This is my—"

"Leading her friends into danger—"

"They're working with—"

"Bringing herself to harm's way, and as such, gambling with the crown."

"Now really," I tried again, failing to get words in. "I get that none of you wanted me to go—"

"Certainly not!" Toadislav coughed roughly, to which he sputtered into his handkerchief. "Toadoric raises an excellent point."  _Naturally_. "You have far too much to lose by parading around the kingdom, risking your life. Should you fall, the crown will be left vacant and the kingdom will fall into devastation. Chaos!"

"Do you honestly believe—?"

"As such, we are calling for you to immediately cease your retaliation, Princess Peach," explained Toadoric. "The four of us have agreed—"

"That's a laugh—"

"That you must immediately return home while we send your actual army forces to combat Bowser's," persisted Toadoric. "Our decision is final."

"What?!" Daisy slammed her hands onto the table and sprang up from her seat. I smirked as she readied herself. "Are the four of you out of your blasted minds?! Peach has been  _dominating_  this war! Working with her, we've already rescued five of the kingdom's territories! Bowser's forces are constantly scrambling to work against us, and we've even held our own in a direct confrontation with the Koopa King himself!"

"Impressive indeed," complimented Toaditus. He shook his head. "Though, that last bit does sound risky."

"Do you want to know what's risky? Sidelining Peach while we're working our hardest to rescue not only Mario, this kingdom's greatest hero, but five innocent Toads as well!" Daisy slammed her fist on the table.

"See here, young lady," started Toadislav.

"Lady?! Realize who you're talking to here," snapped Daisy. "I am the  _Princess_  of Sarasaland! And I will not be called anything less!"

"Your kingdom—"

"May not be as large or powerful as the Mushroom Kingdom, but we will still be heard!" Daisy wasn't having any of their nonsense, and that was exactly what I needed. "Do you have any idea of all the good Peach has done for this campaign? She freed endangered penguins in the Glaciers! She quickly mounted counterattacks for the Grasslands and the Deserts! Seaside was greatly relieved of all threats thanks to us! Peach's strategies have even managed to bring Mario back home."

"Briefly," noted Toadoric.

"Bowser's actions against him have been unpredictable from the start," hissed Daisy. "We're doing everything we can to go against him, and we've been succeeding at every turn thus far!"

"They truly have," chimed in Toadsworth. "I've been plenty hesitant over letting Princess Peach go through this war, but she has come out on top of each encounter and continues to stride forward." He nodded and tapped his cane. "If you had asked me prior to all of this nonsense, I would never have fathomed allowing Peach out against the Koopa Troop. But with how well she has progressed with her friends, I can't think of asking her to stop at this point." Toadsworth looked to me and nodded. "She needs to be out there if we want Mario to return home safely, if we truly wish to stop Bowser this time."

"Mario is a wonderful knight without the official titles and political value," started Toadoric. "But really, we should not be comparing his value to Peach's, should we?"

"Yes, we should indeed." I rose up and joined Daisy standing. Toadsworth hopped up as well. "Mario has done more for this kingdom than anyone else I know. He has been the one to keep me safe for years. I owe him my life countless times over." I swallowed hard and nodded. "He may not be officially recognized as a figure of authority or importance, but the kingdom adores him and we need him." I tightened my grip around my Royal Scepter, shaking slightly. "I refuse to end my campaign now. I will not live my entire reign in fear of Bowser. I will not allow him to bring harm to Mario, nor my subjects. This has to end, and I will be part of the ones that help end this fight."

Granny nodded and smiled. "Strong, just like her parents." She adjusted her spectacles and nodded again. "I believe we should allow her to proceed."

"Toadsandra, do reconsider—"

"Having this meeting was my consideration," she intervened. "Princess Peach is right. We've had this war process on with the Koopa Kingdom for far too long." She pulled out a green card. "I vote in favor of allowing Peach to continue."

"It's inspiring, but insane," argued Toadoric, pulling out a red card. "I vote against this madness and request Peach to return home immediately."

"As do I," concurred Toadislav, flipping over his red card as well. "Truly preposterous."

"Toaditus?"

"Hm? Oh, in favor." The Toad in a bowtie revealed his green card. "I didn't realize just how crucial Peach was to the war efforts. So long as she's with her friends, who would give their lives for her, she should be fine."

_Friends that would give their lives…_

"Then we're at a tie," murmured Toadoric. "The deciding vote falls to…"

"The highest ranking non-royal in the room," declared Toadsandra.

All eyes fell upon Toadsworth, who smiled behind his spectacles and mustache.

"I am for my Princess to continue," he determined. "This blood feud needs to end, and I firmly believe that Princess Peach can bring it."

"Very well," allowed Granny. "That will be all, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy. The two of you may continue your journey."

"Now that's more like it!" Daisy clapped her hands together and then patted my back. "Come on, Peach! We've got heroes to rescue, a kingdom to defend, a tyrant to stop, and a war to win!"

She and Toadsworth turned to leave, but as I followed, I came to a stop, with unending questions begging to assault my mind. Whirling around, I faced the Royal Council once more.

"Yes, Princess?"

"While I'm here, I wanted to discuss two important matters," I decided. "First, I would like to work on equalizing homosexual relations and legality, so that they face no more scrutiny than any heterosexual couple."

"That is sudden," murmured Toadoric.

"And barbaric!" Toadislav banged the table again.

"What for?"

"The all-loving princess that my kingdom makes me out to be, and yet I have not done my part in making love for everyone?" I shook my head. "That shouldn't be, and I want it to be fair for everyone."

"This is an issue that will need to be looked into," decided Granny. "But we will consider looking into it." She smiled. "What is your second issue, child?"

"I still need to research the laws more carefully, but I want to know the truth," I proclaimed. "Are there laws that enforce racism between the species that are allowed residency and peace within my kingdom's borders? And has this racism run rampart throughout my family's history?"

"Well, that is certainly from nowhere," laughed Toadoric. "Now that, father, is most certainly barbaric."

"Indeed! Accusing your family of such horrid beliefs!"

"Princess, I would need to look into the matters myself," explained Toadsandra. "But, I do believe that your family has made just decisions and showed no signs of racism toward any fair creature in the Mushroom Kingdom. They have done everything to protect the innocent species and worked against the more hostile monsters that would create chaos and war for territory." She nodded. "Your family has done nothing but good for this kingdom."

"Ah. I see."

"Is there anything else you require, Your Highness?"

"…Perhaps, but that will be all for now." I bowed my head slightly. "Thank you for this meeting. If you'll excuse me, I must continue my journey."

"Of course."

Turning away from them again, I followed Toadsworth and Daisy back through the door and we closed it behind us as the council returned to their paperwork. We strolled through the lower level hallways as Toadsworth began to lead us back upstairs.

"They're lying," he softly murmured.

"Yes." I nodded, and my heart sank. "I know."

"Do you know any more on things, Toadsworth?"

He sadly shook his head to Daisy's inquiry.

Returning upstairs, I made my way through the Grand Hall as Daisy and Toadsworth chattered excitedly about their successful retaliation against the Royal Council. We walked up to find Yoshi and Luigi step before the Throne Room, waiting for us.

"Princess Peach," started Yoshi as he marched forward. He seemed…eager to get away from Luigi's side. "I…I need to request aid to my island, for my people…"

Glancing around the room, I noted several guards and servants wandering around opposite ends, certainly looking to listen. Quickly, I leaned in close to Yoshi.

"Honestly, I don't trust you anymore," I whispered. "But I won't penalize your people for your actions."

Sadly, he nodded as I leaned back up. It was hard to admit to, but true: I couldn't trust him or Luigi with the truth. Even if I did owe Mario greatly, we were now due for a very long discussion about his choices, and the choices that his friends took based on his actions.

The amount of people that I could rely on continued to shrink.

"But yes, of course, Yoshi," I declared. "We'll need to send relief efforts to Yoshi's Island immediately."

"Thank you," he murmured.

Luigi walked forward, but Yoshi stepped away from him. I turned as Birdo and Toadette entered the hallway. Staring at the two of them silently for a moment, Birdo lowered her eyes while Toadette sank down. Slowly, she walked away from Birdo and over to my side.

"Have I missed a development?" Toadsworth tugged a little harder on his mustache, and tapped his cane.

"We'll explain it later," Daisy answered for me.

"Very well," yielded Toadsworth. He walked to the Throne Room doors, but stopped short and spun back around. "Goodness me! Princess Peach, my apologies, but I was distracted from the meeting! You have another visitor, waiting for you upstairs in your bedroom."

"My…bedroom?" I shook my head. "Toadsworth, honestly, why would you bring someone there?"

"It was actually one of the new servants, and I meant to move your new visitor before being told to collect you for the Royal Council," enlightened Toadsworth. "Please, do hurry upstairs! I will ask for the latest intelligence on Bowser's forces."

"Thank you, Toadsworth." I smiled. "For everything."

My steward nodded and returned my beam, then hurried off to trace Bowser's army. Beckoning Daisy and Toadette to follow me, I hesitated and looked over Luigi, Yoshi, and Birdo. Even if I couldn't trust them now, I still needed them, and I motioned for them to follow as well.

* * *

**[Luigi]**

We followed Peach upstairs and into her room, with pink furniture and carpeting all around. Seated on her bed, she stared out a long window with blue curtains. Waiting for us was a woman in a short red dress with long, wavy brown hair. Spotting us in the reflection as we approached, she turned and faced us with her pale blue eyes.

"Pauline," I managed, shaking off the initial shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Wonderful to see you again as well, Luigi," Pauline greeted. She smiled to Peach. "Hello to you as well, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy. And hello, company."

"Isn't that Mario's first girlfriend?" I heard Birdo whisper to Yoshi.

"Hello, Pauline," greeted Peach, somehow with more grace than she would some of us by this point. "Welcome back to my castle."

"Thank you very much for allowing me to stay in your room, Peach." Pauline stood up and gently tugged the sheets on the bed back into place. "There we are. Anyway, how have you all been lately?" Everyone muttered incoherently as Pauline placed her hands on her hips. "Right…ok then."

"We're in the middle of a war, actually," revealed Peach.

"Oh my. With that big brute, Bowser, right?" Pauline shook her head. "And I thought I had seen the worst of it with Donkey Kong. But…this is a bit of surprise, Peach. You and the others here are fighting the war as well? Mario's usually great on his own." She giggled and shook her head. "Excuse me, I didn't mean any offense. What I mean is that he's usually quick to save the kingdom, so I didn't imagine that he'd need so much assistance." She sighed and twirled strands of her hair. "Gracious, that's coming out all wrong. Anyway, where is Mario?"

"He was kidnapped," announced Daisy flatly.

"…Wait, what?" Pauline folded her arms. "Bowser…kidnapped…him? Not Peach?" She raised a brow in confusion. "I mean, that's great for you Peach, and I'm happy that you're not stuck over there, but I…is Mario ok?"

"Mario? Oh, he's perfectly fine," unveiled Peach. "He's doing much better than I ever did."

"…Huh?"

"Ok, let me take it from the top, and condense it," I piped in. "So, uh, Pauline, this is going to be a bit shocking, but…just try to listen to me until I get to the end, all right?"

Hesitantly, Pauline glanced at the others before slowly nodding to me.

"Right." I cleared my throat. "So, there was a new bridge being built just outside of Peach's Castle, to which we were having a grand ceremony for. However, Bowser invaded, seeking to kidnap Peach as per usual. Instead, he ended up kidnapping Mario. While we decided to take the matter of rescuing him in our own hands, Mario was kept prisoner off at Bowser's Castle. After freeing some of the territories that Bowser's forces had overtaken, we managed to rescue Mario, but unfortunately, Bowser kidnapped him again."

"You might as well include her on the whole loop," quietly advised Yoshi, a certain hollowness still clear in his tone.

"Um…sure." Pauline shook her head and blinked as I approached her. Slowly, she sat back on the bed. "The big shock is that Mario has apparently fallen in love, or been in love, with Bowser. They're both involved in a relationship currently, which Birdo," I paused to point her out to Pauline, "revealed that his entire kingdom currently knows about. However, this hasn't gotten Bowser to return Mario to us, nor cease his conquest against Peach's kingdom, so we're still combating his forces in order to rescue Mario, several more of Peach's kidnapped subjects, and end this war."

Blinking long and hard, Pauline slid her hands to her head and shook it. "Wow, uh…Bowser is the evil tyrant king, right?"

"Yes."

"But Mario's in love with him now?"

"Correct."

"Wait, when was that confirmed?" Toadette shook her head. "I thought—"

"Toadette, I've known about it for a while now," I confessed. "Since the Deserts. Mario confirmed it for me when we had him back with us briefly."

"So…Birdo was right."

"Told you so," mocked Birdo.

"Then…this is all really recent stuff, with everyone else learning," deduced Pauline.

"Yep."

"Uh…got it." She scratched the side of her head and brushed back some of her hair. "So, Mario may need rescuing, but most definitely, you're working on stopping Bowser's onslaught. How have you been doing so far?"

"We've managed to take back five territories," divulged Toadette.

"Ah. Then you guys are doing just fine."

"Mostly."

"Mostly?" Pauline blinked at me again. "What do you mean by that?" She waited for my response, but then observed the distance between the others and myself. "Um, am I sensing tension here, or is that—?"

"No, yeah, you got it."

"I see."

"More than likely, Mario doesn't actually need to be rescue," abruptly snapped Peach. "We need to focus our main efforts on saving my Toads and stopping Bowser entirely."

"Maybe that's the wrong way to go about it," intervened Pauline. "Peach, I respect you entirely, you know this, but…Mario's a good guy. True, I'm officially questioning his tastes in guys, but—"

"Officially?" Daisy tilted her head and placed her hands on her hips. "You're…acting like his interests in other guys isn't the shocking part."

"It's not, really," revealed Pauline. Everyone, myself included, stared quietly at her, perplexed. "Wow, none of you caught on, huh? Ok, well…long story short, Mario has had some interest in other guys before. Nothing that he acted on, but he would agree with my selections on guys that I found attractive." She eyed Peach and nodded. "Similar to how we discuss about women that were on the same level. Anyway, he wasn't always…look, the bisexuality? It's not news to me, period."

"How about dating a giant demon turtle?"

"…That…is a new one," caved Pauline. "And yet, considering that Mario's always had exotic tastes, well…not really surprising in the long run, I'd imagine."

"Unbelievable," murmured Daisy in awe.

"Eh, not completely," decided Pauline. "Now, if you told me that he was dating Bowser and looking to take over the kingdom, or was courting some kind of inanimate object, those would be scary."

"So…about the former," speculated Toadette.

"Mario isn't going to try to hurt us," I snapped. "He's my brother."

"Twin, in fact." Everyone turned to Pauline. "…What? None of you ever acknowledge that? I think it's cute. Isn't it? I mean they look alike, and…sorry, forget it."

"At any rate, we do have to rescue the Toads," reminded Peach. "So, no matter what, we've still got a war to fight. I just fought for my right to continue this battle with my council meeting, so I'm definitely going forward with that."

"Wow, so, you're still battling Bowser, then?" Pauline stood up and folded her arms, tapping the side of her head with her hand. "And how many more territories have you guys left to liberate?"

"Whatever it takes until Bowser is finally stopped."

"Mm…ok then." Pauline paced back and forth a bit. "And this is Mario's crazy boyfriend in that case. If anything, he can be reasoned with, and if he can't, Mario can. Either way, lives are at risk, so…it'll take all of you to end it." She paused and assessed each of us. "Right, ok then. So, if you guys give me a minute to change into something more adventurous, we can head downstairs and get to work."

This time, I blinked. "Huh?"

"Luigi, come on." Pauline rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I'm not going to help Mario on this one?"

"Pauline, no offense, but…you're not really…how do I put this delicately? You're not exactly the best choice to fight."

"True, I'm not," she admitted. "But maybe what you guys need now isn't someone that's the strongest fighter. Having me around will help open you guys to new perspectives."

"Sounds more like a liability," muttered Birdo.

"Besides that," continued Pauline, "I really want to help Mario, however I can. Peach, Luigi, you two need to let me come along with this group."

Turning to Peach, who held a long glare at me, I shook my head and shrugged. "Who are we to stop you?"

"Huh. That's a good point, actually," realized Pauline. "However, it would be much better to have your approval and cooperation."

"Then you have it," declared Peach. "We'll go see Toadsworth, and—"

A knock sounded at the door and we turned around as Toadsworth opened it. "Princess Peach, there have been sightings of Bowser's troops occupying the Mountains. The region, that is."

"Ah. Thank you, Toadsworth." Peach spun her Royal Scepter around and raised it into the air. "Well then, that's where we'll be heading next. We'll take care of Bowser's Koopa Troop there, and then gain the location of the Toads, as well as Mario. And then, we will end this."

"One way…or another," chimed in Pauline, perhaps a little too cheerfully for Peach. "Sorry, did that kill the mood?"

"It's fine," I insisted, earning another dark glare from Peach. "We'll work forward from here."

Pauline nodded and glanced around, finding a burgundy bag and digging into it for her change of clothes. Daisy folded her arms and glanced at her hands, studying her Regal Rings. Toadette smiled for a bit, but sighed and hunched over, exhausted. Birdo picked at her ring, and then stretched a bit. Peach tapped on her Royal Scepter, still sending shifty stares to me. Also observing me was Yoshi, quietly, and then quickly, he looked away.

Walking to the wide window, I gazed out at the sunny sky. Together, the seven of us could surely take on whatever Bowser would throw at us. But…should we be fighting back with everything we have?

Heart hammering over my brother's state of mind, I'm silently left to quell my own storm of thoughts as I turn back and follow the others out of the bedroom, and off to the next part of our journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, sorry, I forgot to remind you that this was another feels trip. Pardon me!
> 
> Lots of drama occurred in this chapter, from start to finish. Poor everybody, by this point. Let's see the damage. From the top!
> 
> Merlon reveals that Merlow has some sociability issues as the result of extensive magic training. The Shaman himself also seems anxious for everything that he has to prepare for, and has dealt with a lot of failure, as it seems. Still, he seems positive enough to keep training Mario, in spite of that health risk! What a great tutor, honestly. And he even helped restore Mario's Firebrand and gave him the Thunderhand! Catch the reference?
> 
> Mario practices magic, hooray! At the cost of Merlon's life, hooray? So, it turns out that he still does have some training that he'll need to undergo before really getting the hang of these spells. Will he overcome his inner fears and progress with his magical prowess? As long as Bowser quits panicking over him and continues the encouragement, odds could lead to his favor! And there will be more Bowsario mush moments to boot.
> 
> Over at Peach's Castle, what went right? Nothing really. We got to start off with Peach developing trust issues, and new death threats. Poor Peach just doesn't know how to handle what she considers the greatest betrayal from her closest friends. And that was the starter!
> 
> There was a poll a little while back for a secondary couple, which became Yoshi and Luigi! Sort of. Poor dino poured his heart out, but Luigi just didn't know how to take it, on top of the other drama. Not every confession and declaration of love starts out well, unfortunately. Will their love grow and blossom, or will Luigi never even give it a chance?
> 
> Meanwhile, Toadette broke down into tears over her failure and kidnapping of her friends. Birdo's still having issues loving herself. But, at least they rekindled their friendship.
> 
> Speaking of friends, Daisy's got everyone's back this time around! The spunky Sarasaland princess made up for her drama! Calmed Peach down, stood up to that rotten Royal Council, and helped out all around!
> 
> While we're at it, meet the Royal Council! They're the ones responsible for Peach having to hold back and not go on terrifying journeys to stop Bowser and help Mario. Anyway, they are all fan created characters, based on other Toads. Anyway, they were briefly mentioned earlier in the story before, so I decided to expand on their roles slightly. They seem to have good intentions in mind for the Mushroom Kingdom…at the expense of Peach's freedom. And…the freedom of other species, as it would seem. So, yes, the Council is cunning and will do what it takes to ensure crown's safety, even if they have to give into some of the demands that risks a royal's life. They may not be a major group in this story, but they can really give you a bad time.
> 
> And introducing…Pauline! I've been waiting to bring her in! Why? Because she's a sorely underutilized character that deserves to be recognized for being the precursor to…Peach. Crazy, right?
> 
> Funny enough, I wrote a two-shot series where Pauline fell in love with Peach. Originally, I was going to create a five-chapter mini-story as the third part to the series, but held off on it to add her into this story. Could the two stories be linked? Potentially; the characters behave quite differently between the pairs of stories, but to my knowledge, there doesn't appear to be anything against the three fanfics sharing the same universe. And really, bisexual Pauline alongside bisexual Mario and Bowser is more fun, right?
> 
> Anyway, as for her depiction in this story so far, Pauline is…plain. It's not a bad thing at all, actually; consider that there is something fantastically odd about everyone else in Peach's party. Luigi, just like Mario, is capable of inhuman techniques. Peach and Daisy have magical powers. Yoshi and Birdo can launch eggs and are generally strong. And Toadette is a speedy mushroom person. Comparatively, Pauline comes off as the normal human of the group. And yet? That's actually a new add-on that could really balance everyone out again. Think Pauline can help the bubbling team turmoil from spilling over?
> 
> With the teaser from this chapter, there will be more magical shenanigans for Mario to experiment with in the next chapter, as he continues to hone his awakened powers. Expect support from an overbearing Bowser and more wisecracks from Merlon.
> 
> Feedback is super cool and appreciated! Message or review me comments, criticisms, and questions, if you have any! Hearing from people helps me out, so it's always great to hear back.
> 
> Wow, ok, that's way too much talking again. Thank you once more for reading! Hope this fanfic is still entertaining; if so, that gives me life! It really does, so thank you again, readers.


	35. A Woe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, has it been a while! The past couple of months were busier than I anticipated.
> 
> But, let's not waste much time. Last chapter touched on it, but this for this chapter, it's time to watch Mario further his magical practice! …And go through the drama the oozes out with it, yay!
> 
> It's a bit of a read, but not as long as the last chapter, so clear some time and sit tight! Oh, and enjoy the newest chapter!

**[Mario]**

Once again, late into the day, Merlon guided me back to the top of Shooting Star Summit. Though it had only been another day since we had arrived at Star Hill, Merlon and I had practiced at least a dozen times already, and I'm pretty sure that I've lost count since.

Directly behind me was Bowser, trudging closely. I glanced back occasionally and caught him glaring ahead. For a moment, I would wonder if it was intended for me. But upon catching my eyesight, he would soften up and smile. His glowering was still reserved for Merlon, and yet, I couldn't understand what still bothered him about the Shaman that helped us.

Along with Bowser, Koopella strolled behind him. Unlike Bowser, she refused to soften her grim, narrowed gaze, settled intently on Merlon. With her, however, were Nix and Tech, both flying slowly behind Bowser, and neither seemingly annoyed with Merlon, to my knowledge.

Waiting for us at the top of the hill were Merlon's granddaughters, Merlee and Merluvlee. They turned and practically bounced in excitement at spotting me. My shoulders stiffened as we came together, a slight gust blowing around us.

"Hooray, he's finally here!" Merluvlee twirled around, her iris cloak flowing as she spun. "I can't wait to get started!"

"Me too," chimed in Merlee, letting her orchid cloak slide over her arms. "This is going to be so much fun, and so exciting!"

"Now girls, remember," cautioned Merlon. "Mario is still learning how to use these powers, and hasn't had nearly the amount of time nor practice that the two of you have had." He glanced at me and nodded. "He can take a punch, but don't overdo it."

"Geez Gramps, we get it," groaned Murluvlee.

"We'll be sure to go mostly easy on him," assured Merlee, easing her grandfather's worries, but not helping mine.

"Very good. Bowser, are your three ready as well?"

"Three?" I blinked. Turning back, I gawked at his minions. "They're…fighting me too?"

"You will not have the luxury of dealing with simple opponents, Mario," explained Merlon. "Neither will everyone be honorable to fight you alone. If you cannot anticipate surprises and fend off numerous foes, you will struggle."

"I still think this is too soon," grumbled Bowser. "You two may have practiced a good number of times, but Mario still has a ways to go."

"Fair point, but tell, King Koopa, how many fortresses have been taken back from you?" Bowser remained silent under Merlon's gaze. "Furthermore, were you not the one to tell me of dissenters in your own castle? Tell me, have they miraculously disbanded yet?"

"That's not fair," I intervened. "We'll have time to work on dealing with them, and we're not looking to purge them or anything dramatic."

"Even if they amount to an easy obstacle, what of the Mushroom Kingdom?" I folded my arms as Merlon shook his head. "You believe that you will have no consequences to handle? Is there any reason that Princess Peach will merely accept this?"

"She's my friend."

"Is that supposed to be your defense?" Merlon tilted his head. "Do you expect little to no retaliation because you've befriended her for years? Have you never lost a friend over time, or been betrayed by one?" I shuddered and Merlon raised his head, focused harder on me. "Have you not betrayed her by romancing the greatest of her enemies?"

"Fine, we get it." Bowser snorted. "Still feel like we're rushing this."

"Time does not linger," affirmed Merlon. "Why should we?"

Bowser opened his mouth, ready to argue again, but scooped his hand into mine. He glanced down at me as I shook my head. Shutting his mouth, he nodded, and Merlon moved to the opposite end of the hilltop, the arena.

"We'll deal with them, huh?" I turned back to Bowser, who smirked at me. "Think you can handle my rebellious troops?"

"Maybe." I shrugged and rubbed his hand. "But, I know that you can. With my help, it'll definitely work out."

He grinned broadly, maintaining it even as I let his hand go. His troops followed Merlee and Merluvlee toward Merlon, stopping a slight distance before him. I took my place forward a few paces, opposite to them.

My heartbeat kicked up, racing quicker now. Once more, I checked back with Bowser, his smile gone and his eyes widened. A light enveloped the area around us as the wind ceased.

Turning back to Merlon, I watched as he slouched, and I heard him panting. I stepped forward, moving toward him.

The next step, however, was nearly swallowed by the ground around my leg, and I fell back, watching a hole as it closed before me.

Peering up, I watched Merlee relax her hands as Merluvlee rushed forward. She jumped up and thrust her arm forward. A thick vine emerged from her sleeve and rocketed down at me.

Hastily, I rolled back and to the side, evading her whipping motions. A fireball rushed past me as I jumped away from the vine, nearly scorching me.

Nix flew forward, winked, and soared back into the air. As I looked back down, Koopella lowered her head and dove at me, her helmet's mini spear thrust forward.

Fumbling, I ran and jumped over her, narrowly evading her spiked shell. Abruptly, something quick thwacked me in the head.

A pebble fell to the ground as I rubbed my head. Looking up, I watched Tech Guy as he lowered his slingshot, digging through a pouch on his belt. He withdrew another small stone, and aimed at me again.

Annoyed, I shook my fist, which began to burn slightly. One minute, I was waiting for a flame to appear, but the next, I was launched from my feet and then slammed into the ground.

"Nice shot, Koopella!" Merluvlee cheered as she pulled back on her vine. I picked my head up, and the Koopatrol emerged from her spinning shell.

Suddenly, the ground quaked around me, as it broke open. I fell forward, and then was launched out by a stone pillar.

"Mario!"

Falling, I slammed back to the ground, and groaned. I heard Bowser begin to stomp toward me, but the ground rumbled again. Picking my head up, I spotted a wall of stones surround him, closing him into place.

"You'll need to do better, Mario," taunted Merlee, her hands opened, but close to one another, almost forming a box.

Gritting my teeth and pounding the ground, I forced myself back up. Another fireball came soaring at me.

Quickly, I lifted my hand and let it come at me. I grasped at the flame and shook my hand, as if building it. The fireball froze in my hand as I thrust it forward.

Nix's eyes widened as he watched the fireball whiz back out, returning to him. He flew up and flapped his wings as it soared off the hill.

Running to the star-marked center, I shook my hand again, with the fire spurting around me, but fizzing out. Too quick.

Another vine whipped out at me and I sidestepped it. Again, I shook my fist and the fire engulfed it. Pulling back, I hammered down, punching the fire into Merluvlee's vine.

It caught fire and roasted quickly. Merluvlee yelped and flailed her arm, with the vine snapping and detaching from her sleeve.

Shoving my other arm out, I opened my hand and a quick shot of water popped out. Unlike Merlon's blasts, it rained down to the ground, leaving me to sigh.

"Spread your fingers a little bit next time," instructed Merlon.

Pulling my arm back, I ready to repeat the act as Koopella runs forward. Instead, I shake my fist and thrust it out, as a spray of fire emerged from my opened hand.

With a skid to stop herself, Koopella is engulfed in the flames, failing to shield herself within her shell.

"Ella!"

Nix swooped down and dove into the fire, dragging his ally out. My arm dropped as I stared ahead, blankly at the burning soldier.

"Not bad, Mario!" My mouth parted as Merlee complimented the attack, and doused Koopella with a splash of water. "I'm not sure if that was your intention, but it went pretty well!"

"No, I…I can't—"

"It's no different from stomping your way past enemies before," noted Tech Guy as he flew over. "You just have a varied arsenal of your own now."

"But—"

Vines burst from beneath me and ensnared me. I gasped as they twisted and tightened around me, with Merluvlee approaching and twisting her hands, closing them slowly together.

"We're your…enemies here," managed Koopella. "You don't…get to feel…sorry for us." She coughed as Nix helped her from the ground. She pulled herself from his grip. "That goes for you too. Keep…attacking him."

Reluctantly, Nix nodded and flapped his wings, airborne once more. Struggling, as the vines grew tighter, I squirmed helplessly against their grip.

"Come on, Mario," called Merlon. "You're not helpless here."

Slowly, I rotated my hand around, lifting and dropping my fingers one by one. After the first few rotations, I picked up the speed, and ignored Tech Guy's slingshot attacks.

As I quickened the rotations, Nix flew up in front of me. His usual smirk was gone, and he fiercely glowered at me.

"Nothing personal," he murmured.

"Likewise," I managed through the constrictions.

His mouth was ablaze as he reared his head back. Sharply, I scooped upward with my spinning hand.

A pillar of wind rushed up from beneath me, with its surge knocking Nix back and forcing the vines apart.

Dropping down, I picked myself back up as a boulder flew at me. Ducking and run beneath it, I rotated my arms backwards rapidly.

After dodging the stone, I lifted my arms up, with another serge of wind bursting forth. It pushed the Shamans back, while twisting Nix and Tech Guy around in its gusts.

The airborne pair slammed into one another, and dropped from the air. Koopella watched as they dropped down next to her, and she scrambled to dig through Tech Guy's pack.

Shifting my foot forward a bit, I quickly slid it out and then stomped the ground. A small quake shattered against the earth and knocked the trio off balance.

"Sorry. Can't allow that." Stomping forward with my other foot, I lifted my arms up and thrust them into the air.

A pillar of earth rocketed Bowser's minions into the sky and they soared off, crashing down on the opposite end of the hill.

"Bravo, Mario!" Merlon applauded. "Three down."

I nodded as I returned my attention to the Shaman sisters. They blinked at me and giggled before turning to one another and nodding.

Hurriedly, I shook my fist and shot forward a fireball, and then quickly followed up with another. The pair sidestepped each one, and moved closer together.

Both slid one foot forward and stomped down. Almost immediately, I sank into the earth as it caved in around me. Staring up at the pair, I watched as they parted and twirled away from each other.

With that motion, however, they spun their arms around as well, moving with a careful rhythm. Writhing against the pit I was snared in, I kicked against the walls, knocking bits of dirt around me.

Merlee and Merluvlee spun back in toward each other, as I broke free from the earth. Quickly, they thrust their arms forward in unison, and a spray of petals fired out.

My arms flew up to shield myself, but it did little as pink and purple bits fluttered around me. They spun rapidly and sliced against me with sharpness I wouldn't expect from flowers without thorns.

Crouching, I tried to pull my cap down and strengthen my defensive stance. From beneath me, however, another flurry of petals burst from the ground and cut at me from below.

Rising up, I tried to launch another fireball, but my arm was too slow, and the fire fizzled out. Lifting my leg up, it went back down quickly, and not even a rumble sounded.

Dropping back down to my knees, I listened as Bowser thrashed against his stony prison. Still, the petal storm raged on as it cut past my clothes.

"Enough!"

Merluvlee dropped her arms first, quickly followed by Merlee. I picked my head up and watched as Merlon walked over to us. Lowering my head, I clenched my fists.

"Impressive work, thus far," commended Merlon. "Though, I must admit, I thought—"

"That I would be doing better by now," I interrupted. "Yeah, I thought so too."

"…Ah, that's not quite—"

"You don't have to let me down easy, Merlon," I snapped and glared up at him. "I can handle the truth."

"Truthfully, I don't think—"

"That I'm making a great deal of progress." I shook my head. "I didn't think so either."

Silently, Merlon folded his arms behind his back. He peeked past me and brought his arms back out, first together in a pointed stance, but then quickly apart.

Turning back, I saw Bowser wildly look around himself, stones back in the ground. He glanced up at me and half smiled. I frowned and walked toward him, past him.

"Hey, Mario!" He grabbed my shoulder and I turned back to him, eyes lowered.

"I need to be alone."

"Without me, or—?"

"Yes, that's the idea."

Dejected and deflated, Bowser released me as I stormed down from Shooting Star Summit. Quickly, I sped past Merlon's home, with several of Bowser's troops outside and watching me.

"Hm? Mario?" I didn't look back to see who tried to get my attention. "Mario, wait!"

Several hex shapes flew out and surrounded me. I whirled around as Kamek lowered his wand.

"Just where do you think—?"

Yelling, I lifted my arms above my head and roughly pulled them apart. The hexes were ripped apart and shattered into sparkles of dust, and Kamek gaped at me.

"Don't. Ask."

As I pivoted away, I caught Merlow watching me from inside the house. He stared fixatedly on me, his eyes aglow. Wrinkling my face, I continued on my path away from the Shamans' home.

After everyone was out of my sight, hidden behind the dark trees and bushes, I slowed my pace to a halt. Sitting on an indigo stump, I sighed and glanced at the violet grass and flowers.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" I rolled my eyes and turned my head as Merlon approached. "It's why I love this side of Star Hill, why I'm happy to have my home here. Cold, yes, but little to no snow, specifically at Shooting Star Summit."

"Sorry for snapping," I started. "But I just really, really want to be alone right now."

"Understandable, and magic usage doubles stressful emotions." He nodded and took a seat on a stone opposite to me, raising his leg and propping it over his knee. "It's frustrating when things take longer to achieve than we intend."

"Yeah, it does." I dropped my head and exhaled heavily.

"Do you realize how difficult this is, for you to learn?"

"Extremely."

"Perhaps, though, maybe not." I glanced up and he shrugged, wagging his ruby slipper slightly. "The amount of progress you have been able to make, even with just a few spells, is astonishingly remarkable."

"It's not good enough." I lowered my head again, staring at the violets near my feet. "I have to get better, and I progress quicker."

"Were you listening? I just commended you on the brilliant speed that you've already learned this much."

"And you didn't hear me." I picked my head up and lowered my eyes at him. "I just told you that I'm not doing well enough."

"You feel that you need to be flawless with these new spells," determined Merlon. "That is admirable, but it is improbable that you will learn what has taken members of my family years to master. There is more that I can teach you, but not everything I know, not in such limited time."

"Fine, but I'm not asking to learn everything," I protested. "Just enough to counter what I'm facing."

"The curse?" Merlon drummed on his leg a bit, but shrugged again. "So long as it remains separated from you, I believe that you'll be fine from its adverse effects." He tugged as his ivory mustache. "I still must find its source to properly dispel it, but so long as I have it under my possession, you're safe."

"Good," I murmured, lightly kicking at some grass.

"Can you explain to me what is truly bothering you?" I looked back up at Merlon. "Something besides this curse, besides your struggles with the magic. What is it?"

"Merlon, I don't—"

"Mario, you must talk about this with someone."

"Everything you went over with me, with us, earlier!" I ran my hands under my hat and through my hair, grabbing at it. "I need to be at my strongest, and then go beyond that! I have to be able to protect everyone and make sure that this war doesn't get out of hand. I don't want to see Peach or Luigi hurt, and I want to keep all of my friends from harm's way." I sighed. "Yet I need to save Bowser, too. He has not only the Mushroom Kingdom against him, but also members of his own army." One hand slid back down over my face as I pinched my brow. "Even I'm still causing him trouble, by being in a relationship with him, or by flipping out over things that aren't even his fault."

The elder Shaman blinked and nodded. He stroked at his mustache, and let his leg fall back down. He clasped his hands together and tapped his fingers against one another. Nodding again, he leaned forward, resting his hands on his lap.

"I wish I had a certain answer for you. Your future has always been the hardest to read," he explained. "And I'm going to share with you a secret, that I can't always been sure of my own predictions."

"Wait. You…can't see the future?"

"Oh no, I can," he clarified. "However, I cannot see the exact result, the definite or the definitive outcome." He sighed. "I can only see where the future is headed, and only so far ahead. Any kind of small change from the last time I checked can change everything. Today, I could tell you that the Mushroom Kingdom will war with Bowser for the next decade. Tomorrow, they could enter peace negotiations." He shrugged. "It doesn't mean that the future I saw will never happen, but it doesn't become guaranteed just because I see it. Does that make sense?"

"Mostly, yes," I murmured, unnerved at the thought about another decade of my friends battling one another. "But…why tell me this?"

"Because, I want to relate points. No matter how hard I try, no matter how much effort I put in to securing only positive outcomes, to plan accordingly, I cannot control fate. And believe me, I do try my damnedest to find only the best endings." His golden eyes glowed as he gazed into mine. "You are much the same as me, looking for only the best solutions, the perfect outcomes. Sometimes, these are achievable. Many times, however, they are not. And we simply must learn to accept that there are things beyond our control." He winked at me. "As stubborn as we are, that is exactly what fate is and how we come to accept it: limitless and untamed."

"That…still doesn't really solve my problems."

"No, it won't." He pulled on his mustache again. "Only those involved can solve your problems. I could tell you what I see, but that could change in as soon as an hour, or perhaps over another day." He tugged on his hood and pulled it a little lower, over his eyes. "I'm afraid that my best efforts to assist you will be to rid you of the curse, and teach you magic." Releasing the hood, it rose back up over his eyes, and he stared at me once again. "But, I believe in you, Mario. I feel that, of everyone involved with these conflicts, you are the heart of it, and you can help your friends solve everything, hopefully leading to a peaceful era."

For a moment, I could only nod. What was I supposed to tell him, tell myself?

Finally, I tried, "You seem confident in me, but I…I don't. And I can usually pull myself together, but lately…it just feels like a little…more than usual." I rubbed my arms, tracing the cuts in my sleeves. "I don't know if I'll be strong enough this time. And it feels like there is so much more at stake."

"Usually, you work alone or with just a small sum of companions," observed Merlon. "You have more than that this time. Bowser is with you, and with him comes a great army, even if it's still divided. Princess Peach, once you…sort everything out, will surely still work with you."

"Yeah…I'm not so sure about her," I admitted. "She…I don't know how she'll take this."

"Well, you'll find out soon enough. But here's the trick, Mario: she's still your friend."

"I know that."

"Right, but remember to remind her as well," cautioned Merlon. "And realize that you're not alone in feeling the weight of the world against you."

"Oh, she reminds me constantly." I weakly laughed a bit. Sighing, I scratched at my own mustache. "But, you're right, she usually has a lot going on for her. I just want to explain to her that…I don't want to hurt her. It's just…I don't want to hurt anyone anymore."

"Yes, and that's admirable. So, Peach, Bowser, obviously your brother, and—"

"Um…I'm not sure about him, either," I confessed. "He…didn't approve of…well, Bowser and I."

"He's your brother, Mario." Merlon let out a world-wearier sigh. "I truly realize how family does not always cooperate with one another, so I understand that he may struggle with following you on this one. But, I've heard of how he follows you through countless journeys, and in spite of great odds." He winked at me again. "Many times, we only muster the strength to do that so we can help the people that we love."

"True," I relented.

"Then, that's practically everyone in your corner," surmised Merlon. "All you have to do is continue to help everyone close to you."

"It…can't be that simple."

"Who told you it would be simple?" Merlon chuckled and winked again. "The best things that you want in life are things that you will have to vie for. Perhaps I could be wrong, perhaps you will encounter more odds than I can anticipate for you." He shook his head. "But, I think otherwise."

Dropping my shoulders, I nodded again. Somehow, his words put me a little more at ease.

"You will accomplish this, Mario. Just believe in everyone, especially yourself." He chuckled again. "After all, Bowser does."

"Yeah, he…really does." I scratched the back of my head. "I need to make it up to him, somehow, some day."

"Standing by him when he needs you the most, as he does for you, is exactly what you'll need to do."

"Right." Picking at my gloves, I wasn't as certain of that, especially after having stormed off on him. "So…what do you see for me?"

"Hmm." His eyes flashed as he stared into mine and he winced before shutting them. Slowly, he opened them and held a long, silent gaze at me. Finally, "I see…you returning to your beloved, once we have finished our conversation."

"Um…that's not…quite what I meant." I scratched the back of my head, a little baffled still. "I was hoping, maybe, you could explain things a little further off."

"Trust me, just a little, and know that what I've told you is all you need for now." He winked at me again. "Come on. You've got a grumpy king impatiently waiting for your return."

My shoulders dropped and my head lowered. "Maybe he…or maybe I should wait a little longer. He might…want some distance too, after what I—"

"Dear boy, he cannot live without you." My head jolted up and Merlon twisted his mustache around, nodding. "Hasn't anyone tried making that clear to you yet? If you two haven't learned that already, you should be understanding that by now."

"Well…we are still getting used to it, I suppose." I shrugged. "Not every couple turns out flawless from the start, right?"

"Not even close, and I can tell you that from experience.  _Years_  of experience."

We laughed and stood up from the stumps. Quieting down, I glanced around the woods for a moment, taking it all in. In spite of the rigorous training and battles, Star Hill was still a beautiful place.

"Ready to return?" I glanced back at Merlon, who had taken a few steps back toward his house already.

"Ah…just a minute." I checked around at the plants around me once more. "I just want to check something for a bit."

Tilting his head and looking around, Merlon's eyes sparkled just a bit. Though he might not have been completely sure, he nodded.

* * *

**[Bowser]**

After watching the old Shaman rush off after Mario, I trudged back down from the summit and over to the house. Several of my troops gathered and chattered quietly, until they noticed me appear. Kamek stared ahead, gawking at nothing.

With a growl, I let out, "Hey, wake up!"

The old Magikoopa jumped and whirled around to me. "Did…you see that?!"

"No, I just got here," I grumbled. "Was it Mario?"

"He…yes! He can…he just…poof!"

"…What?"

"Mario, he can just break hexes!"

"Oh, that." I shrugged. "Yeah, not a lot of them, but Merlon taught him how to get out of trapping enchantments and the like." I scratched my chin. "That was…I don't know, two training sessions ago? Three? Uh…I forgot."

"We haven't been here even half a week yet!"

"They teach magic faster here, I guess." Chuckling at his offended expression, I lumbered back over to the house.

"Lord Bowser." Glancing back, I watched Koopella, Tech Guy, and Nix hurry over to me. "Do you…need anything of us?"

"Yeah, you to get patched up, for starters." Snapping my fingers, I pointed at Olive. "Get her to help you lot out, ok?"

"But sire—"

"Just…I need a minute. Or, a few."

Silently, I stepped inside of the Shamans' household; they at least left the door big enough for me to get back inside of, earlier today. A crash rang out from the basement below. Blinking, I checked back out the window, counting the majority of our group outside.

"Maybe Mario…?"

Hesitantly, I crept toward the basement door. Listening for a moment, I took one step down. Shouting began, but I continued quietly, in spite of realizing it wasn't Mario, or Merlon.

Closer to the end of the steps, I waited behind a curtain that led into the basement.

"See?! I just told you that I couldn't do this, Dad!" That was…the kid. And very clearly on edge, yelling.

"And I'm telling you that you can, Merlow, and that you must!" It was his father, Merle. He shouted back, firmer than his son.

"Why?! Just because of Granddad's prophecies?!"

"That's exactly why!"

"Well, I can't! Ok?! I just can't do this!"

"Where are you going?!" A blast fired, followed by something shattering. "Merlow!" I listened to hurried footsteps. "Hey! Merlow!"

For a minute, it was quiet again. Abruptly, I heard Merle let out a frustrated cry, a bright light flashed out, and I flew back, hitting the steps behind me.

"Who's there?!" Shaking my head, I glanced up as the Shaman threw back the curtain. "Oh…King Bowser. My, ah, my apologies."

"Sure, it's, um, fine." I pushed myself back up from the stairwell and followed him back past the curtain, into the study. It was messier than earlier, with vials shattered and scrolls in disarray. Notably, a wall in the back was blasted open, creating its own dark corridor.

"…So…"

"Ah, you did hear that, then." Merle sighed and shook his head. "Sorry. My son has a tendency to get a little…well, very worked up."

"Must be a magic thing," I murmured. Of course it was, and we both knew that.

"Correct, and he's…having a little bit of trouble, lately." He massaged his temples behind his hood. "He's, uh…well, my father predicted that Merlow has great responsibilities to juggle in the future. And, while my father isn't always right about his predictions, he tends to get a lot of details right." He shook his head. "And Merlow has been overwhelmed with what's on his plate."

"What exactly is his, uh…destiny?"

"To change the world." Merle shrugged. "Most days, it's that he'll help establish peace after dealing with a great tragedy of sorts. Fitting, in a tired way."

"…Fitting?"

"Tragedy, with this family at the least." Merle scratched the back of his head. "It's just, ah…well, my mother, she passed protecting something…ancient. In short, my father did what he could to protect her, but failed." Turning away from me, he inhaled and took a moment before releasing it. "My wife died while fending off savages from Merlow when he was young."

"That certainly explains it," I muttered. A little more clearly, "I apologize, that's quite tragic indeed."

"Indeed," he repeated. He walked over to a shelf with fallen books, pushing them back up, but failing to keep them in place. "Neither my father nor I really ever entertained the idea of marriage again, though he certainly had several more dalliances before he was finally through. I…couldn't bring myself to it, with three children and my father to care for."

"Your reaction makes more sense, to me." I shrugged. "That…father of yours might have bounced back a little too easily."

"As I thought, at first," agreed Merle. "Though, he did accurately predict my mother's death, down to every last detail. Eerily, he had done the same with my wife, though it was while he was away from home." He weakly chuckled. "You can understand why my son is a little alarmed by his grandfather's prophecies."

"Duh. That's scary precision to follow." I scratched my head, and then shook it. "But, that's not all there is for your kid, huh?"

"…No, he's…I'm afraid he's always had reservations with…many aspects of his life." Merle twirled his large blonde mustache around his gloved finger. "Merlow's frustrations come out most when he practices his magic, unlike the rest of us. Tension is hard to keep under wraps, and when you're channeling magical spells, you're relying on not just skills and techniques, but everything you're feeling." He sighed, heavier than before. "Bottling something inside of you will inevitably pour out when using any type of spell, or extensively utilizing magic."

"So that's what it is," I mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing, just remembered something."

"Oh…?"

"Nothing important." I tugged at my collar and readjusted it, eyeing Merle as he stepped away from the broken shelf, glancing back and forth around the room. "But, your son also has to deal with additional pressures, right? Some, um…outside influences?"

"…You mean myself, and my father," quickly deduced Merle.

"Well, yeah." I sucked in my cheek for a moment, pondering how to go over this a little more tactfully than I'm used to. Got nothing. "Look, you two, from how it sounds, can be pretty hard on the kid. His grandfather's giving him these far off predictions that are predetermining his life, and you…well, you're doing your best to help him get there, but, from what I heard, you can be a little…too harsh."

"Strict, and I must be." He shook his head. "Merlow must become stronger."

"See, you're rushing his life away like that," I contended. "Believe me, I get this a lot more than you can imagine. My father, the Koopa King before me, he…he set me up to learn about being a king and an enemy to the Mushroom Kingdom first and foremost. My bonding time with him…was far less than ideal."

"Really?" His tone was filled with…genuine surprise, at that? Well…I hardly go over this.

"Actually, that's putting it lightly." I inhaled deeply before exhaling. "My father was an absolute tyrant. He was constantly trying to get me to come up with…schemes and plots to overthrow the coming royalty for the Mushroom Kingdom. Whenever I wanted him to actually bond with me, or when I asked too many questions, he roared, and uh…well, it wasn't long before he sent me away with my retainer."

"The Magikoopa?"

"Kamek, yeah. And…it was before he was really anything to me, so…" I swayed my tail a little and shrugged. "Point is, my father sucked."

"My condolences."

"That's fine, I've…well, I lived it already." I shook my head. "So, when I had a kid of my own, I…vowed to do a hell of a lot better than him."

"And how has that been working out?"

"Some days, I'm pretty sure that I screw it all up on levels parallel with my father's stupidity." I smirked and glanced at the desk with the shredded tablecloth. "But, on a lot of other days, I love my kid with everything I've got, and…I know that I'm at least doing better than my father. Doing more."

"Sounds like you're doing far better, and good for you both." Merle nodded and pulled a bit on his mustache.

"But, that's the thing: I'm doing better with my son because I'm taking the time to love him, raise him myself. There are some days that I realize he has a long way to go before following in my footsteps. But, he's young, and I can't rush him." I returned my gaze to Merle's bright yellow eyes, staring directly into his shrouded hood. "And that's my point. Your kid, uh…Merlow, he may have a lot to handle as time goes on. But, you need to be there with him for now as much as you need to prepare him for the future. He needs your love and compassion as much as he needs your guidance."

"…You raise a very valid point, Bowser," decided Merle. He chuckled. "You're a lot more clever than the stories I've heard about you."

"Nobody likes to paint a monster as anything intelligent," I joked.

"True, unfortunately." Merle shook his head. "Well, I suppose this relates to my own experiences with my father and son, though I suppose our results are a little more in between your clearly awful relationship with your father, and great bond with your son." He sighed. "Perhaps I have more to learn as a parent than I realized. It never seemed this difficult with the girls."

"How are they?"

"Depends on the day. Sometimes, they can be a pair of angels. Other days, they're quite demonic in their own right." Merle held his head and slowly shook it around. "It can be a nightmare when they're trading off, with one happy and cheerful while the other is fantastically moody and annoyed. Then, the next day, they'll practically switch their feelings."

"Joys of having twins?"

"Something like that," laughed Merle. "Still, I love them all the same, and most days, they're irreplaceably precious. All three of them, truly." If I could see his face, I'd imagine Merle would be grinning proudly.

"Of course!" And that's how it should be, with everyone.

"Thank you, Bowser." Merle nodded. "I'll do better going forward. Hopefully, when Merlow gets back, I'll be able to connect with him better."

"Just give him some space, time, and then he'll get there," I advised.

"Certainly." He stroked his mustache and his eyes lit up a little more as he studied me. "…You're not speaking of experience with just your son anymore, are you? Not with that last comment."

"…Nope." I exhaled heavily. "Mario got a little frustrated and took off after botching a bit of his training."

"Ah."

"Yeah, he's…worked up. Especially with the magic training."

"Really? Merlow's quite jealous of his speedy progression," revealed Merle. "Merlee and Merluvlee are shocked by how much he's learned in such short time. I am too, now that I think about his progress. Even my father has been praising him." He shrugged. "Guess we should tell him that."

"We should, because he doesn't see that. I can definitely tell he's putting his all into it." My head dropped as I stared at the floor. "It's…hard, not being any help to him."

"From what I can tell, even from just the small amount of time you've spent here, you help him plenty," observed Merle. "You brought your own escort for him, didn't you?"

"Kind of…yeah, I guess I did." It was Kamek who organized that, and they're more for me than him, but…it works out in both of our favor. "It's just…I don't want him to think that I'm not trying to help him with, well…everything. I want him to understand that I'm here for whatever he needs."

"Are you sure that he doesn't already?" Merle shrugged. "I feel like Mario tries so hard with helping everyone because he wants to help you as much as he wants to help others."

"I like to think that too, but…I don't know." I folded my arms. "I guess…I'm not used to it? And…I'm not really used to giving anyone space, really, since…well, I can be bossy." He laughed at that, and I had to grin, if only briefly. "But, really, I…don't want to mess things up. And…when he pulls away, I just…feel like I'm ruining…us."

"No, I don't think so."

"You weren't there for our big break-up."

"Nasty?"

"Uh…he ran away from my castle. And then…I beat him up and kidnapped him after having my minions beat up his friends."

"…Are you and Mario into some kind of relationship where…abuse is—"

"Hey, wait a second there!" I jerked my head up and threw my arms open. "Look, I'm not great with soft approaches, but I'm definitely trying to have as normal of a relationship as I can with him! And…well…we're getting past the kidnapping and locking away crap, ok?"

"Locking away?"

"It's…really not as bad as I'm making it sound, honest!" Yes it is, and I'm paying for it.

"Ah…right." Merle cleared his throat. "Getting back on topic then, all couples go through trial and error stages, at multiple points of their relationships. And it really depends on how they can properly communicate and cooperate with each other in spite of the, um, hardships."

"…What?"

"Have you given him many opportunities to help you as well?" Merle twirled his mustache again. "He seems to get plenty of you chasing him around and bringing him all the way here to get rid of the curse, and keeping him safe from your other minions, right? But…what has he helped you with?"

"He's…trying to help me find peace with Princess Peach." I tapped my claws together. "And, uh…helped me smooth out my relationship with my son. And some other minions of mine."

"The ones that rebelled against you?"

"Um…I try to keep him away from them, mostly."

"Perhaps he should be working with you on that matter," determined Merle. "Work with Mario more, not for him. He's not meant to be your prisoner, and you're not supposed to be his slave." He paused, and then started to add, "At least…not outside of fore—"

"Ok, got it, thanks," I interrupted. "So…what, you want me to not help him as much?"

"No, keep doing what you're doing, just…don't go overboard with it. And…let him in to help you, too." Merle nodded. "He's not fragile, by any means. And while I'm sure that you're strong on multiple levels, you're definitely not invincible. So, open up to him more, and let him help you when you need it." He shrugged. "Don't shoulder all of the burdens yourself. A good relationship balances it, and…well, the two of you are working on that, so…just do it a little better."

"Right, ok." I nodded and smirked. "What's that from, anyway? Experience?"

"Most definitely," laughed Merle. He quieted down quicker than I expected and lowered his head. "A lot of…experience…"

"…Do you…really give into…your own emotions?" He picked his head back up to stare at me, right in the eyes. "Have you really ever finished grieving over your wife, over your mother?"

"Y-yes, plenty."

"That didn't sound so sure to me."

"Perhaps not, but I can't let tragic events overwhelm me for so long." He sighed and shook his head, looking down again. "My family depends on me to be stronger than that, and I need to be, for their sakes."

"Huh. That sounds familiar." He slowly glanced up at me as I smirked. "What was it you just told me? How you're not supposed to shoulder the world's burdens all on your own?"

"W-well, that's…it's different, with your…lovers have a better balance than families!"

"Not so true." I wagged my finger at him. "My kid amazes me with even the simplest of lessons he can teach me. You'd be floored with everything your kids could probably teach you."

"…I…suppose…"

"Come on, I know you've got a damn good cry in you," I prodded. "Let it out for once."

"Believe me, I have already," insisted Merle. "And I've played my feelings over and over about how I would do anything to change their fates. But, what's done is done." He inhaled sharply and loosely exhaled. "I…I can only move forward. And, while it doesn't truly go away…I'm at peace with it."

My mouth opened to argue again, but several footsteps paraded around from above us and a little bit of shouting rang out.

"Oh, what is going on up there?" He shook his head. "I'm afraid that will be the end of our conversation, Bowser. It is delightful to realize that we're not so different from one another—"

"Hang on, Merle," I tried once more. "Shouldn't we just take a minute to—?"

The door to the basement opened and footsteps started down the stairwell. Merle silently shook his head at me, and then quickly waved his hands around, casting spells to clean up the study. Before I knew it, things were put back together, just before the curtain was pulled back over.

"Training Merlow again, son?" Merlon brushed his mustache and nodded as he entered. "Cleaned up the mess already, too." He shook his head quickly and blinked at me, tilting his head. "Oh…hello, Bowser. This…isn't where I was expecting you."

"Where should I be?" I snorted. "It's not like…"

In a second, upon spotting Mario step from behind Merlon, my thoughts vanished. He glanced up at me, sighed, and looked away. My whole body suddenly became heavier as I slouched, letting my arms hang.

"Ah…Merle, son, why don't…let's give them a minute, shall we?"

Shuffling over to his desk, Merlon glanced around and spun over to the shelf. He snatched a scroll, grabbed Merle, and hurried back upstairs, leaving Mario and I alone in the basement.

"So, what, you cool off yet?" I folded my arms. "Don't expect me to—"

"You don't have to," he cut in, looking back up at me. "I shouldn't have stormed off, and I had no right to push you away like that. You have every right to be angry, and I'm sorry."

Stunned, I hesitated for a moment and dropped my arms again. Walking over to him, I gently picked his head back up.

"Actually, I was going to tell you, 'don't expect me to leave you alone again,' because I don't like being separated anymore." His eyes welled up and tears lined my eyes too. "I thought you were still angry with me."

"No, not you," he corrected. "I was angry at myself, and I…I didn't want to take it out on you at all." He heaved and hastily brushed his eyes. "I'm tired of hurting you."

"Thought we moved past that by now," I joked, gently scratching Mario's chin. "But yeah, let's take it easier on each other, huh?" Leaning in, I kissed him softly, pecking at his lips. "I'm here whenever you need me."

"Right, I want to be by your side as well," concurred Mario.

He guided my face into his and we kissed again. For a moment, he pulled back and tickled me with his mustache.

"Hey, don't tease me like that," I moaned.

"Sorry…but it's cute when you groan."

"Ugh, Merle was right." I stroked him back into me, near my lips. "You are into some weird things."

"Like what?"

"Me."

We laughed a little and I kissed him again, running my tongue across his lips. He parted his mouth open and pressed his tongue against mine. Lightly pushing into him, I went to deepen the kiss when he abruptly pulled back.

"Too much?" I blinked as he stepped away from me, licking his lips.

"Not even close, but…I have something else I need to take care of."

Mario started to walk back for the stairs, but I snatched his arm to hold him back. My heart skipped a little, but slowed when he turned around, still smirking at me. His bright blue eyes were serene and warm, and my breathing became steady.

Still, I had to ask: "What are you doing?"

"Feeding my heroic ego," he mocked and winked at me.

Snorting, I couldn't hide the grin that snuck onto my face. After a second, I let Mario go, and followed him back upstairs, closing the distance.

* * *

**[Mario]**

Merlon took Bowser and I back to the top of Shooting Star Summit, with Merlee and Merluvlee arriving not long after us.

"Grandfather, are we really fighting Mario again?" Merlee placed a hand on her hip. "We figured that once would be enough for the day."

"Mario requested just a chance to face off with the two of you once more," explained Merlon for me. "He wants to know if he can beat either of you at all."

"Is that right?" Merluvlee giggled and lightly stroked her veil. "Well, if you're insisting on this, Mario, we'll be glad to give you another wallop!"

"We'll see."

"Are you sure you don't want my help on this?" Bowser folded his arms as I turned back to him, smiling at him. "Not helping the first time around was bad enough, and it's not like I'm going to…it's not like you'll be alone."

"You're right, I probably won't be," I realized. "Still, I need to know if I can handle myself."

"Very well." Merlon's hands lit up. "Just give this old timer a moment—"

"Actually," I interrupted, "I wanted to try this one without you exhausting yourself."

"Oh?" Merlon paused, thinking, and then shrugged. "Well, as the girls put it: if you insist."

Stepping forward, I walked closer to the middle, opposite of the twin sisters. The Shamans glanced to one another and nodded.

Merluvlee pulled her arm back, and then forced it forward, with a vine emerging from her sleeve.

Immediately, I lit my arm with fire. Ablaze, I sidestepped the vine and waited as it crashed to the ground.

Quickly, I picked my arm up and hammered down at the vine, severing and burning it. I watched as Merluvlee quickly scrambled with pulling her arm away from the vine by her sleeve.

Merlee stomped down next, and then scooped her hands to lift the earth beneath her. She jabbed forward with both arms, rocketing the stone toward me.

Running toward it, I rotated my hands around one another before pushing down with them. A gust of air piled together and I launched myself over her boulder, flipping into the sky.

"Nice try," applauded Merlee. "But that's how you've doomed yourself."

Together with Merluvlee, the pair stomped down and lifted up smaller chunks of earth. They punched upwards, and uppercut the rocks at me.

I shook my fists and lit them on fire once again. Punching, I countered their stones with fireballs, breaking them to bits of pebbles.

Rotating my arms around again, I separated them before dunking down this time, creating a heavier burst of wind. It knocked both Shamans back and softened my landing.

Merlee scooped at the ground again, trying to have the land around me swallow my body like before.

As I sank in, however, I took in a deep breath and lifted my arms. Barely spreading my fingers, I halted the sinking dirt, first in front of me, and then all around.

Merluvlee traced circles in the air, and then quickly cut across her body, swiping leaf blades at me as I pulled myself from the ground.

Shaking both hands, firing them up once again, I swiftly slammed my fists together, creating a small fire barrier before me. Each leaf that flew into it quickly burnt away.

"This doesn't make sense," I heard Merluvlee murmur. "He's suddenly even better!"

Both Shamans stared at me for a moment, and then turned to each other. Nodding, they spiraled around, first away from one another, and then back in together.

The storm of petals rushed from their arms once again, swarming around and slicing me once again. Repeating my motions from before, I crafted another fire barrier, scorching the petals to ash.

However, another flurry blasted from beneath me, with flower bits scattered around and floating up to slice at me again.

Breathing in, and then out, I calmly guided my hands around in a circle. Moving my whole body around, I slowly rotated as I spun my hands, lifting each finger consecutively. A heavy wind slowly brewed between the flower storm and myself.

For a moment, half way around, I caught Merlon nod while Bowser smirked, both watching my movements attentively.

Guiding myself back around to face them, I spiraled my hands around a few rotations, whipping up a wind funnel. The petals were swept into it and fired out, right back at the sisters.

Together, they slammed at the ground and lifted up a rocky barrier to block the petal blades from slicing at them.

That, however, was what I wanted them to do.

Swiping at the air, I jumped forward and lifted a vortex beneath me. Rocketing up, I soared forward and above the wall, flipped above the girls.

Their eyes widened as I shook my fists and quickly punched down, hitting each Shaman with a fireball. I fell closer to them and twirled my body around.

Thrusting my fists forward again, I launched a larger, stronger fireball down at the pair, blasting the area beneath us. I flew back into the air as the pair shouted out, and crashed to the ground a slight distance away from the flames.

Merlon ran forward and launched a spray of water to douse the sisters out, and the pair sank to their knees. Bowser roared with a laugh and scooped me up from behind, tossing me up and back into his arms.

"Excellent work, Mario," congratulated Merlon, still checking his granddaughters. "That was a significant improvement, and in a short amount of time!"

"To be honest…I think I got a little lucky on that part," I admitted, opening and closing my hands. "…That last one hurt more than it helped."

"Hey, it worked in your favor," soothed Merlee.

Merluvlee giggled. "Yeah, you literally smoked us!"

Bowser whispered, "Feel a little better now?" I nodded slightly and he nuzzled his cheek against mine.

"We'll still need to see if Mario can juggle a larger number of opponents at once," reminded Merlon. "However, defeating my granddaughters is certainly proof of your merits thus far. I believe it may be time to take your training even further."

Before I could respond, another voice called out: "My Most Gracious King Bowser!"

Everyone turned as Olive floated up the hilltop, and the green Blooper hurried up to Bowser and I. He blinked, keeping me cradled in his arms.

"What is it, Olive?"

"Some…we have a…visitor. From the castle."

"My castle?"

"Yes, please, come with me."

He stomped after her as she floated off, and I cleared my throat. Grinning, Bowser continued forward for a bit, still carrying me.

"You are  _not_  bringing me down in front of everyone else like this," I grumbled.

"Aw, you never let me have fun with this," he teased as he stopped and set me down to the ground.

Olive waved us to follow her again, and Bowser continued after her. The rest of us followed him back down the summit and to the Shamans' house, where his other minions had gathered around.

"Ok, one side, make way," shouted Bowser, and the group pulled apart.

For a moment, I turned away, watching Merle step out from the house and walk over to the rest of his family. Glancing across from them and behind a tree, I spotted Merlow, quietly closing a book and turning to us, staring directly at me.

"Master Bowser, my king!" I whirled back around and stared at the little red-cloaked figure before the Koopa King he called for.

"Hey Kamek, a mini-you showed up." Bowser pointed at the little fellow, who flailed around.

"Sire, please! That's so…degrading to call a Toady," the Mini-Kamek complained.

"And just what about my name is debasing?" Kamek folded his arms and tapped his foot, definitely glaring behind his spectacles.

"N-nothing, Lord Kamek, it's…oh, never mind that!" Mini-Kamek turned back to Bowser and waved his arms around as the propeller on his hood spun a bit quicker. "Sire, your son, the prince, sent me."

"Junior?" Bowser's slightly playful tone vanished in just a word. "Why? What happened?"

"It's the Koopalings, sir. They captured a group of Toads, and they're…well, your son believes that they're plotting a confrontation with Princess Peach's forces."

"When did those blasted twerps decide on that?!" Bowser stomped down, knocking Goomphen and Bombkin off balance. "They're not supposed to abandon the castle at all, much less to challenge Peach!"

"Yes, and once you've concluded aiding Mario with his ailment, my prince has requested your return."

Silently, Bowser nodded, eyebrows lowered. Slowly, he turned away from the Toady in the middle of his crowd, and hesitantly glanced over at me. I blinked and paused for a moment, but then quietly nodded to him.

Merlon was right about the fleeting time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, magic practice was fun while it lasted.
> 
> But yeah, writing spells was more complicated than I expected. Exaggerated hand motions that differ from each attack, that's some crazy stuff! …And we care little about that, I know, lol.
> 
> This chapter was a combined delve into Mario's advanced practices with magic, a little more relationship exploration between him and Bowser, and building a little bit of back story on both Merlon and Merle! I wasn't anticipating adding that much on Merle, but I was like, "Hey, he's a dad, Bowser's a dad, and they've both got issues, so why not?!" …I admit, I am just a little bit twisted. Just a bit.
> 
> Anyway, yeah, Mario has been learning some magical spells from Merlon, and it has been in condensed time sessions, where Merlon slows the time around them, or rather, speeds up the time it takes Mario to practice. (Or is it both?! …You'll never know…!) So, Mario's still got a ways to go with everything, but he ultimately managed to topple Merlee and Merluvlee, who are adept in magical prowess, in spite of their frivolous natures. And, of course, Mario's primary spell use goes to shooting out fireballs, because it's Mario. But the wind and air stuff was fun to have him pick up and learn pretty well too; after all, Mario's all about jumping, so I imagine he'd pick up flying around to a degree. Though, I think it was more fun to see the Shaman sisters using earth and plant life in their attacks, which are fairly underrated in terms of magic elements.
> 
> Also, since magic makes users moody, Mario and Bowser got to have another little spat, oh no! But, this one was resolved much quicker, and they got to smooch each other again. (I missed writing these two kissing for a while, don't judge me. …Wait, if you're still reading this, you shouldn't be.) But yeah, Bowser can be a little too forward with trying to help Mario out, while Mario feels the need to be more helpful with Bowser's issues. And gee whiz, that just might be tying in with the coming plot! Who saw that one coming?! (Spoilers: everyone probably. I'm not very good at curveballs, I know.)
> 
> It was nice to have Merlon have a heart-to-heart with Mario, and I really enjoyed the mentor and hero relationship that they had. Meanwhile, it was a feels trip for Merle, who actually has a sad background that I totally planned on. He needs a good cry, you know? Then again, maybe that Merlow kid does too.
> 
> Other stuff: I wanted to write more woodsy stuff, so it was fun having Mario wander out and look at the flowers. Nix, Koopella, and Tech returned to do stuff this chapter! Specifically, fighting stuff! I liked working with those three again. Olive was originally just a passing mention, but I decided to give her a few lines at the end, because yes. And yelling contests between a father and a son were so loud that they didn't hear a giant turtle king sneak down creaky basement stairs. That's a magical moment all its own.
> 
> That's all from this chapter though! Next time, we'll spend some more time with Mario and Bowser, as they decide on what to do next! …Oh, and then we get to that part where the Koopalings do a thing. Hooray?
> 
> Feedback is super cool, and it keeps me going, so if you guys could send me a message or a review, that would be super appreciated! I mention that a lot after every chapter, and it does seem to work, so thank you to everyone that does respond to the chapters! No, I don't expect everyone to answer every chapter, but the more comments on them, the better I can do with the future chapters! Anyway, comments, criticisms, and questions are all welcomed.
> 
> And I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone reading this story so far for joining in, especially new readers that tune in and add this story to their interest piles! It's great to see newcomers that still join in on the story, and I'm always happy to see more people following the story. So, THANK YOU ALL ONCE AGAIN! I'm hoping this story continues to slide up on the filtered pages and steadily more visible, and that's thanks to everyone still interested in it!
> 
> Sorry, I talked a lot again. And I missed it too, because I don't get to talk a lot to people…at least, not about this kind of fun stuff. But yes, that'll do it for now, and more for next time! Thanks again for reading, everybody!


	36. An Opening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bowser must make plans to return to his castle, while Mario must face a choice. He's not alone, as Bowser's minions make a decision of their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I may be busier as the days go by, I'm still plugging away here!
> 
> No time to waste on introductions though; we've got a cliffhanger to follow up on! …Then again, when don't we?
> 
> Ah, whatever. Set some time aside, and once you're ready, enjoy reading!

**[Bowser]**

While the rest of my troops sat off discussing strategies, and Merle kept his family distracted doing house chores, I took Mini-Kamek and Mario aside to further explore the revelation on the brat pack.

"Junior is absolutely certain of this, right?" I folded my arms together and grinded my teeth. "He's positive that those twerps are planning on going ahead?"

"Yes, sire," assured Mini-Kamek. "He wouldn't have sent me otherwise."

"Damn it."

"If it helps, sire, there is time—"

"Time?!" I growled and barely contained a heavier roar. "To do what, stop them?! That's not possible! Even if we were to directly travel to the next fortress, that still takes too long! The fight would be over before we even get there!"

"M-my apologies, s-sire—"

"Don't you have any more useful information?!"

"Bowser, calm down," soothed Mario. "He's the messenger."

For a moment, I glared down at Mini-Kamek, who shuddered under my gaze. Sighing, I leaned back and watched Kamek and Merlon shuffle over, while Mario patted my arm.

"You don't understand." I dragged my claw over my face. "They're carrying on with my plan, still bent on conquest."

"Right, they're going to the next fortress to try and fight Peach." I lifted my hand as Mario nodded. "You were going to have them battle next, is that it?"

"No! I…I mean, yes, but…" I dragged my claw through my hair. "I, uh, I don't want to…let them, ah, go off like this! I didn't order them to!"

"Sire," cut in Kamek, "it is true that you were not the one to give the order. However, it is always in our interests to do what is necessary, if and when need be. The Koopalings are using their better judgment to secure the territories that we've obtained."

"Well, it's not better judgment!" I folded my arms together and grumbled. "They're not the ones to make those calls. The Koopalings can cause all kinds of mayhem that I'm not even interested in creating!"

"…Boy, isn't that the entire point?" Kamek adjusted his spectacles. "By doing this, the Koopalings are opposing Peach's forces, as planned."

"That's…!" I hesitated and blinked. "Y-yeah, I guess, but…"

"They are some of your highest ranking minions," continued Kamek. "These are the countermeasures they are trained to utilize." He tapped his wand against his hand. "You  _are_  the one that specializes in kidnapping. It's practically a birthright to your kingdom by this point."

"One that needs to change."

"What?"

"Forget about that for now," I snapped. "The important thing is that we help Junior. He needs me back home, especially if he's been left all alone."

"Danger does still lurk within your castle walls," ominously added Merlon.

"Great, I needed that reminder like a hole…" I paused and then pounded my fist into my hand. "Merlon! You can see the future, right? Tell me, will Junior be all right?"

"Mm…" His eyes lit up a bit and he remained silent for a moment. They faded and he nodded. "For now."

"Only for now?!" I growled and shook my head. "Whatever, that will have to do. What about the Koopalings? Can they be stopped?"

"As you stated, it is impossible." Merlon held up a hand as I readied to argue, and his eyes flashed again. "They are on a direct collision course with Peach's forces. Odds of a fight are overwhelmingly high. Your chances of preventing it, short of a miracle, are near nonexistent."

"Figures."

"You knew this."

"It would have been nice to have a seer prove me wrong!"

"We don't work like that."

"Yeah, I know that now." I sighed. "But it doesn't matter. I'm leaving either way, and I'm going back home to my son and my castle."

"What good is it if you can't stop them?" Kamek shook his head. "Junior should be fine. I made certain that he would have protection."

"Peach is running out of territories to reclaim," I grumbled. "When she finally has them all back under her control, my castle will be her next target."

"Why though?" Mario scratched his head. "If she rescues the Toads and secures her territories, then what reason would she have to—?"

"You."

"…Oh." He bit his lower lip and picked at his mustache.

"Even if you're not there, she'd still fight to find that out." I rubbed my chin. "She might even just want to wallop me."

"Bowser, please," defended Mario. "Peach wouldn't pick a fight like that."

"Right, just like how she doesn't usually go to save the day herself, huh?"

"Circumstances were drastically flipped," countered Mario. "Luigi couldn't handle it on his own, so she stepped in to help."

"Mario, I love that you can find the good in everyone, but I know that Peach hates me more than anything."

"That's not…completely true—"

"Wow, are you really going to waste your breath?"

"Ok, she does despise you," he relented. "But, you can't blame her, especially after years of attacks and kidnapping."

"Fair point."

"Plus, I think Peach prefers making friends over enemies."

"You'd be surprised."

"Enough to hurt a child?"

"My child." He opens his mouth to contend that point, but I raised a hand and beat him to it. "Regardless of whether she would actually hurt Junior, she won't show mercy to the rest of my troops."

"It would weed out the dissenters," noted Merlon.

"Just because my kingdom is at odds, over my decisions, doesn't mean that I want to kill off every last treasonous member of the Koopa Troop." I shook my head and rubbed my horns. "I'll be the first to admit that I don't have the biggest heart, but I do care about my army as a whole. Seeing it outright destroyed because of my pettiness towards rebellious members of the troops is not an option."

"True, going back could help rally the troops," agreed Kamek, tapping on his wand. "Furthermore, we may have defensive strategies for the castle always in place, but we need to relay specific tactics ourselves. The best way to make sure everything goes smoothly is for all parties to be present."

"Exactly." I sighed and ran a claw through my hair again. "I have to go back."

"If you imagine that it is for the best," murmured Merlon. "Though, the support around here will be sorely missed."

Raising an eyebrow for a moment, I blinked at the Shaman. He rolled his eyes and then used them to gesture toward Mario. Frowning, my body weighed me down and I stared into his deep blue eyes.

"Mario, I'm sorry." I shook my head and lowered it. "I've made this into a mess, but I promise I'll take care of it."

"Don't worry, I'm sure we will."

"…Um. 'We?'"

"Do you honestly believe that you can just leave without me?" He smiled. "You came out all this way, just for my sake. The least I can do is return to your castle and help you there."

"Ah, what?" Merlon tugged on his ivory mustache. "Mario, you do realize that this is a poor time for Bowser to leave, but terrible time for you? We still need to look into that curse and you're right in the middle of magic training."

"It's going to need to wait," decided Mario. "You told me that I should be free from the curse's influence so long as it's outside of my body. And I may not have mastered anything in magical arts yet, but I can at least use some spells."

"Wait, Mario," I protested. "You don't need to come back. If it's important for you to stay—"

"As important as it is for me here," he interrupted, "it's equally important that I return home with you."

_'Home with me…' does he think of the castle as home?_  The stupidest grin settled firmly onto my face at the thought of that.

"May I have a word with you, Mario?" Merlon cleared his throat. "Privately, that is."

He nodded and followed Merlon away from us, out of my still entranced eyesight. Kamek waved his hand in front of me before snapping his fingers. I wildly shook my head, blinked, and focused back on the old Magikoopa. He sighed and adjusted his spectacles.

"Exactly what made you space out?"

"Did you hear him call the castle his home? Wasn't that—?"

"Sire, I believe he meant it as your home." Kamek scratched his head beneath his cap while I blankly blinked at him.

"Oh…well, maybe not. You never know!"

"Perhaps not, but is that really something that should so easily distract you?"

"Sh-shut up!" I snorted and folded my arms. "If Merlon gets him to stay, that's…fine too, I guess."

"Regardless of Mario's decision, you do realize we need to prepare to leave, correct?"

"…Yeah…"

Though Kamek kept rambling, I sighed and stared off into the violet woods, daydreaming about a quieter life with Mario.

* * *

**[Mario]**

Hastily, Merlon guided me back to his home and quickly closed the door behind us. He took a minute to gaze outside, eyes narrowed beneath his hood, though I wasn't quite certain whom it was that he wanted to keep out at the moment.

"Um…Merlon?" He whirled back to me. "Is everything all right?"

"Funny that you should ask," he quipped. "I intended to ask you the very same."

"I'm not the one that's staring outside like we're under attack at the moment."

"My apologies." He shook his head. "I just want it to be the two of us for this discussion, as I would like delve into it further."

"Delve into what now?"

"Your abrupt decision of departure."

"Ah."

"Mario, I simply cannot advise you to leave now," cautioned Merlon. "I implore that you reconsider."

"Weren't you the one that told me that I should be supporting Bowser more?" I lowered my brow as he tugged on his mustache, yanking a bit harder than usual, obviously unnerved. "You told me that I should be with him when he needs me most."

"That's…true, I did, but…" He sighed, clasped his hands to his hood, and shook his head. "This isn't quite what I had in mind."

"So, you feel that I should stay?"

"…No." Merlon exhaled again. "It would be preferable if both of you did stay, but I can understand not wanting to part with your beloved."

"It's not just about staying with Bowser," I explained, in spite of that being a good part of it. "I want to make sure that he and his servants here get back home safely. And then, we need to help restore order to his kingdom."

Merlon tilted his head at me. "You're going to work with him on his rebellious soldiers? That could be quite dangerous, don't you think?"

"Compared to the other times that I've faced them?"

"This time is different, and you know that."

"Maybe, but I need to try," I insisted. "I don't know if Bowser can handle every last one of them on his own, and he needs someone to support him if anything gets too difficult to handle."

"Quid pro quo," murmured Merlon. "He helped you here, and you'll help him there."

"Yes, and yet, that's not all." I adjusted my cap and then fixed my gloves. "I want to learn how to get his army to cooperate, when they seem to have such a clear line dividing them. Doing that will help me understand how I can do the same for both the Mushroom and Koopa Kingdoms." I returned my attention to Merlon and smiled at his bright yellow eyes. "Hopefully, with my help, I can finally get everyone to cooperate with each other, rather than trying to obliterate one another and the world around them."

Quiet for a moment, Merlon twirled his mustache, lost in thoughts. He nodded after a moment. "It's very brave and kind of you to even commit to this idea," he admitted. "Perhaps, will your resolve, and your ties to both kingdoms, you might just be the key to ending this war peacefully."

"Hopefully, that will be the case." Slowly, I exhaled and deflated. "I'm just afraid of going forward from here."

"What still plagues your mind?"

"Just that…well, the Koopa Kingdom knows about us, but…the Mushroom Kingdom doesn't." I shuddered as my heartbeat quickened. "Honestly, I don't think it will go over very well, especially with all I've learned."

"Hmm." Merlon shrugged. "I'm afraid that I cannot help you with this. That future will be yours to decide."

"Right, I gathered. Thank you, though."

"My best advice to you is have faith in others," encouraged Merlon. "You've defended this kingdom for years. Even if you are dating their main adversary, I'm sure the people will have enough respect for you to understand your decisions."

"Um…hopefully?" I scratched the back of my head and attempted to steady my breathing. "It's all I can hope for, I suppose."

"Unfortunately, that much is true." He nodded and stroked his long mustache, closing his eyes a moment before opening them again. "Is there anything else?"

"Um…not that I can immediately think of," I admitted. "Any advice if things go south?"

"Mm…find more of those 1-Up Mushrooms?" Merlon shrugged. "There's a shortage, right?"

"Yes, and we've searched everywhere, honestly," I recalled. "Any advice that isn't reliant on those?"

"Don't fail?"

"…Wow, thanks," I deadpanned. "That's such sage advice from the all knowing, all seeing Shaman."

"Of course," he chuckled. "After all, I can only offer the best for the undefeatable hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, right?"

"You don't make it easier like that."

"Simplicity is an era gone by now." He chuckled again, and then strolled over to a cabinet in the room. "Before you leave, I must give you something."

"Oh?"

"Yes, it's vital that you take at least…where is the blasted…?" Merlon took another minute to rummage around a few shelves and drawers. "I had to give it to the girls just last week, so it should be…ah! Here it is!"

Drawing his hand back out, he grabbed my arm and placed a small blue orb into my hand. I blink and stared at it.

"…A…it's a miniature Crystal Ball?"

"Perhaps a little larger than something so tiny, but yes." He chuckled. "Were you expecting an alternate means of communication with an oracle?"

"When you put it like that, I suppose not."

"If you need anything from me, or more likely, if I need anything from you, we can communicate with that." He pulled out another, look-a-like from beneath his robes. "I will keep this on me at all times, and will update you on anything pertinent."

"Right, I'll do my best to do the same."

"Good, very good." He stroked his mustache and nodded, a slight twinkle in his eyes. "Do proceed with caution, Mario. I suspect you'll need more than your best to handle everything ahead of you, which I'm certain that you're already aware of."

"There are no promises that I can make," I confessed, and scratched behind my head as I pocketed the tiny Crystal Ball. "But…I suppose I'll do whatever it takes."

"And that is all anyone can ask for." He nodded and began to stroll back toward the door. "Oh, but…do take caution around Peach, should you run into her anytime soon."

"Why?" I studied him in silence for a moment as my heart sank. "Does she…know?"

Shutting his eyes, Merlon quietly opened the door and waited for me. Deflating again, heart crushed, I sighed and hesitated. Forcing myself back up, I shook my head and we returned outside.

* * *

**[Bowser]**

My foot rested on top of a blue stone as Kamek tapped his wand against his hand. Sighing, my folded arms sank as he continued going over details for our return trip. For a moment, I glanced back at my troops, chattering amongst one another away from the Shamans. Some would turn their attention to Kamek and I briefly before returning to their side conversations. The confusing part was how they seemed to switch who they were talking with every so often, though I don't know what about.

"Lord Bowser, are you even listening?!"

"Huh?!" I blinked, dropped my arms, and turned to a scowling Kamek. "Uh…"

He pinched the space between his brow and above his glasses. Scratching my chin, I rolled my shoulders a bit, returning my full attention to my old retainer.

"Honestly, sire," he grumbled. "I understand that I'm not quite as interesting as the world around you, but please, for your son's sake, try to focus."

"R-right."

"Now, our return trip shouldn't be much of an issue, as we can take the ship directly back home," explicated Kamek. "However, some of us could take point. Anyone flying might be able to do so, but wings only last so long and they'll easily tire out." He stroked his chin and quietly muttered for a moment. "Yes, perhaps once we're out across the waters, that will be a good time to bring out the Clown Car."

"…The  _what_?"

"Clown Car." Kamek nodded and smiled a bit. "And my trusty broomstick, of course. Provided that we don't hit any inclement weather on our return, we should be—"

"Wait, you brought my Clown Car?" I growled as my fists tightened. "It was with us the entire time?!"

"No, this is the old prototype," corrected Kamek. "It's only good for carrying, not actually utilizing a vast array of weaponry."

"We could have avoided walking the whole way up, though!"

"Right, because everyone would fit in that contraption," deadpanned Kamek. "Oh, and no one would have found it at all suspicious, possibly more so than our xebec."

"Fine, it's a passable argument," I snapped. "But still—!"

"Still, it's an old prototype," repeated Kamek. "I don't know how much the blasted thing has left in it. It could fall apart the second you stomp your way inside of it, boy!"

"If he's calling you that, you two must be disagreeing," voiced Mario. I spun around as he strolled up beside me. He placed a hand on his hip as he glanced between Kamek and I. "What's wrong?"

"Hold on, you first," I insisted. "Does Merlon need you—?"

"Though he'd prefer us to stay here for now," explained Mario. "I convinced him that it was more important that I go with you." He smiled as my mouth spread into a big grin. "Don't look so disappointed," he teased.

"How could I not be?" We laughed and I tugged him closer to me, wrapping my arm around his shoulder. "I couldn't be more elated that I don't need to leave you behind."

Roughly, Kamek cleared his throat. We blinked and returned our attention to him, as he tapped his foot.

"As glad as I am that Mario will remain with us," he interjected, "we do have to make sure these plans are in tact."

"You've already thought most of it out," I protested. "It's not like there's much more we need to go over, unless you think we'll be dealing with anything on the way back." I placed my free hand on my hip. "Barring the weather, that is."

"Exactly what are the plans?"

"Oh, we're just taking the ship back." I shrugged. "And maybe a bit of flying, for any of us that can." I narrowed my eyes on Kamek. "Apparently, someone brought a Clown Car without telling me."

"Wait, why are we flying and sailing back?" Mario tilted his head and pointed to Kamek's wand. "Couldn't you just teleport us back there?"

"If I could teleport multiple people at will, do you think the Mushroom Kingdom would have ever stood a chance?" Kamek shook his head. "Our magic can let us travel from one location to another magically, but that only works once for a week. The more people involved with the travel, the more time it takes to recharge, so three of us would take three weeks, while thirteen of us would take over three months." He sighed and twisted his wand in his palm. "Not that I'd like to think about it, but I'm pretty sure that there could be more important circumstances to use such a spell."

"O-oh. That, um, makes sense."

"Naturally."

Before Kamek could continue on from there, a few footsteps crunched on scattered leaves from behind us. The three of us turned to my troops as they froze in place, most turning to Stammers.

"Goomphen," hissed Koopella. "Seriously?"

"S-so-sorry," whimpered the Goomba to the Snifit. "I-I didn't s-s-see them."

"No matter," sighed Bombkin, the Bob-omb's tail falling to the ground. "Pardon the interruption, your majesty."

"You should probably direct that to Kamek," I chuckled, as the Magikoopa bubbled up with rage. "What do you need? Or, uh, who needs what?"

"We have come to a collective decision," started Glaucus, as the Buzzy Beetle waddled forward. "We have decided that our group should remain here, provided that Kamek accompanies you and Mario back to the castle."

"Of course I'm going," snapped Kamek. "But why are any of you staying here?"

"All of us, actually," corrected Olive. The Blooper fiddled with her tentacles as Kamek gawked at her. "My apologies, Master Kamek. It's just…oh, how do we explain?"

"There's too much going on here for us to uproot and head home," interjected Koopella. "None of us want to part from you, sire, but if we all leave this place, we could miss something upcoming."

"After all," added Ruby, "We haven't a clue what these…mysterious Shamans have planned. The ones here, or in that hamlet, they could have plans of their own designs. Ohoho! …That wouldn't be funny…especially with the one that cursed Mario still around…somewhere…"

"Tactically, it's a insurance," elucidated Tech Guy. "Not only do we keep an eye on the Shamans of Star Hill, but we're also able to keep tabs on the location itself. This is a location that would likely have some type of activity awaken here over other areas of the Mushroom Kingdom." The Shy Guy adjusted his mask and nodded. "Keeping the ten of us here might seem like a bad idea on the first thought, but consider that there are still those loyal to King Bowser back at the castle. Having just ten of us here might not be enough, comparatively. However, by having just us here, few as we are, we're more capable of blending in with Star Hill itself, and able to minimize suspicion that would otherwise be generated from a more conspicuous and daunting group, such as a whole squadron of the army."

"Uh…sure, that sounds good," I mumbled, scratching the side of my head. "Sounds like you guys have it figured out."

"What, that's it?" Nix dropped his shoulders as the Rex's wings drooped. "Not even an attempt at an argument? It took us some debating before settling on this, milord! Wouldn't you even, perhaps, have some of us come with you?"

"Nix, Tech just explained why we're all needed, dear," reminded Jasmine. "We've been over this, and determined that Lord Bowser will be fine in Kamek and Mario's hands."

"B-but…"

"It's not like you're constantly needed around him," noted Bombkin. "His Majesty does fine and well on his own plenty of times."

"Hold on," interrupted Mario. "I actually agree with Nix on this. It could be dangerous to leave your servants here, Bowser. We won't be able to help them with anything they might run across, which could be incredibly dangerous."

"Yes, see?" Nix licked his lips. "Mario is such a darling, pointing that out."

"Um…"

"Aw, come on, Nix," contended Feather Duster. "Everyone may have overruled you and convinced you to stay, but we should all be here, together." The Paratroopa beat his wings, hovering just above the ground, smiling at Nix. "We're especially worried about the one that cursed Mario. He or she is still at large, and we'd be making both his and Bowser's lives miserable if we just left that monster free reign of Star Hill."

"When you put it like that…" Nix groaned and deflated again. "Ooh, fine. But we better not be apart from milord Bowser for so long."

"Wait, what?" Mario shook his head. "You can't just be settled on this idea."

"But we are, Mario," insisted Jasmine. "Bowser needs us like he needs the other soldiers. Master Kamek is above that level." She tapped at her nozzle and nodded. "You've become just as important, if not more so, than him. The only one that Bowser values so highly is none other than Prince Junior, and the reason for your required return."

"Y-you're r-right that it'll b-be scary alone," admitted Stammers. "B-but…we'll be together. And…maybe that'll b-be enough."

"Look, if Goomphen is agreeing to it," concluded Glaucus, "then it's likely our best bet, and a sturdy measure of security."

"Only if Mario agrees to it," I determined. "He's already giving up his training for me, and I don't need him to worry while we're away from this place."

"They have raised a good point," murmured Kamek. "Perhaps, for his peace of mind, Mario should agree to this."

"Hey, his choice. Not yours."

"Ah. My apologies."

"W-well…when everyone puts it like that…" Mario swallowed hard and I rubbed his arm. "…Ok. I guess if this is the best approach. But please, all of you, be careful." He raised his head and glanced back at the Shamans' home. "And, if you need anything at all, I'm certain that at least Merlon is trustworthy. If you can only rely on him, please do so, and have him get in touch with us for any kind of emergency."

"You have our word and our oath, Master Mario," bowed Olive.

"Worry not," assured Glaucus. "We'll be on guard the entire time that we're here."

"They're right," chimed in Feather Duster. "And so is Goomphen! Together, we're stronger!"

"Now you're talking, Cutie Pie."

"Huh? Nix, please—"

"See, Feather Duster has the right idea," I chuckled.

"Sire,  _please_ ," moaned the Paratroopa. "Niall, sir. It's Niall."

"Oh,  _that's_  what it is!" Jasmine glanced around as the others turned to her. "Um. Sorry. I was…I didn't forget, I just…uh…"

"Ehehe! Don't deny it," giggled Ruby, as the Red Boo drifted back and forth. "We all forgot, or chose not to acknowledge it."

"Niall," purred Nix. "So, no more calling you, 'Cutie Pie,' huh?"

"Maybe later," relented Niall. "And Feather Duster whenever you please, sire. But please, I don't want everyone to keep calling me a bunch of other names while we're away." He sighed. "I'll go back home, and everyone really will have forgotten my actual name!"

"Not a problem." Nix smirked. "I happen to love your name. After all, both of our names start with 'N,' so that can only bring about good things."

"Sure, I suppose."

"Perfect…"

"If everyone's decided then," cut in Kamek. "We might as well get going now."

"What, down to the ship?"

"Not anymore," determined Kamek. "If, for any reason, your loyal subjects need to return, they'll need means of transportation for themselves."

Kamek whipped his wand around, swinging it left and right, before rolling it around from the ground and up into the air. A few glittery colors here, a few hex shapes bouncing around there, and in a falling cloud of sparkling dust, my Clown Car appeared before us. Or, the prototype to it, anyway, as unlike my Koopa Clown Car, it's just a blank white tub. Without a face, it feels more…soulless than usual.

"Just how many of these things do you have, anyway?" Mario scratched his head beneath his cap, puzzled. "You have this old one, your current one, Junior's, each of the Koopalings have their own…how many more?"

"Ha…I'll tell you about it later," I teased. "Short answer is more than those."

"It's best if we depart at the highest point of Shooting Star Summit," determined Kamek. He whipped his wand and stepped forward, the Clown Car floating after him. "Come."

"Farewell, King Bowser."

Before I followed Kamek, Mario and I turned to watch my troops bow to me.

"Uh…right. Bye, everyone." I hesitated, and glanced at Mario. Turning back to them, I sighed. "Look, uh, I thank you all for your services so far. Everything you've done…it really means a lot to me." My heart hammered a little harder as they slowly began to look up at me. "I…haven't had nearly enough time to…spend with each of you." Those words replayed in my head, and I sank under their weight. "Regardless, we've worked well so far, and you…you've been my most loyal minions."

"It's always been our pleasure," voiced Tech Guy. "I believe I speak for all of us."

"Yeah, you do," assured Koopella.

"Right." I nodded. "So…I'm counting on you to do your best out here, continue keeping Mario safe, serving your kingdom as always, and…well…watch each other's backs too, got it? You're obviously valuable for your work, and I'm counting on your return." They stared at me, perhaps paused in awe for a moment, before nodding quickly. "Great. Uh…ok then. Good luck."

"Thank you, Lord Bowser."

Pivoting away, I grabbed Mario's hand and stomped away from them. He yelped a bit as we hurried past Merlon's house to catch up with Kamek. As we climbed the hill a bit, he yanked back on his hand.

"Bowser, wait!" I stopped at his command. "You didn't even let me wish them well! What's the…?"

He stopped as he stepped in front of me, his face falling from its annoyed contortion quickly. Staring at his soft blue eyes, I blinked at his sympathetic smile…and blinked again as I brushed hot tears from my eyes.

"W-what…what the…?" Growling, I brushed my eyes, trying to swipe the tears away. "What gives?!"

"A little thing called 'caring,' Bowser," observed Mario. "Is that still foreign to you?"

"It's…I just…" I blinked, letting a tear stride down my cheek. "I don't think I've…ever really had a chance to, uh, t-talk with my troops…not like that." I shook my head, and swept away the rest of my tears. "This is weak and embarrassing."

"No, it's not, Bowser," corrected Mario. "It's heartwarming, and I'm glad to know that you care more about them than even I realized."

"W-well…yeah, I care about my troops…" I coughed and shook my head. "I just…I forget to think…"

"S-Sire! Please wait!"

Groaning, I turned back as Mini-Kamek flew up after us. He crashed into my chest and fell backwards, yelping and hiding behind Mario's leg.

"S-sorry, sire," he whimpered. "B-but…I figured that I should return. It's my duty, even still, to make sure that Prince Junior is safe."

"Yeah, sure." I huffed and glanced at Kamek, who was beckoning us to follow him further up the summit. "Just stick with him, not Mario, got it?"

"O-of course, sire!"

Hastily, Mini-Kamek darted off after Kamek. I chuckled as Mario lowered his eyes at me, planting his hands on his hips.

"Really?"

"Hey, I get jealous easily," I joked. "No one's allowed to be closer around you than me, at least not within my power."

"So possessive," muttered Mario, placing his hand back into mine. I grinned as we continued after Kamek.

However, I heard a skid behind us and stopped again. We turned around as Merle stopped in his tracks, and glanced up at us.

"Just wanted to wish you well," he offered. "Um…didn't quite know what to tell you beyond that. Pardon my intrusion—"

"It's fine," I eased. "Thank you, Merle."

"You're welcome." He nodded and picked at his blonde mustache. "Do well, Bowser. And whatever it takes to keep your family safe."

"Of course." I smiled to him. "You do the same well."

"Always." A crash sounded from back down the trail. "Oh no." Quickly, Merle hurried back down the path, shouting. "Girls! Merlow! Please, just hold on a moment! Don't break anything else, kids! Not the windows; I just replaced the last ones, please not the windows!"

Mario and I exchanged faces of held in laughter before turning back and continuing back up the hill.

Reaching the mountaintop's peak again, Kamek rolled his wand around again, and summoned his broomstick. Mario and I gazed ahead, staring out to the dark ocean before us.

"Do be careful, both of you," whispered Merlon's voice.

Whirling around, I scowled at the old Shaman standing behind us, arms folded and invisible beneath his robes.

"Couldn't you just let us leave in peace?!"

"Am I not?" He chuckled. "What's wrong, King Bowser? I'm certain that you've practiced the idea of stalking and spying on others, have you not? Honestly, not recognizing a tail, even just up the summit for a moment, is shoddy work for you."

"What?! I don't stalk!" I growled, but blinked as Mario stepped in front of me, folding his arms. "I mean…I don't do it…often. Maybe for a kidnapping here, and a little bit too watchful there…" I folded my arms. "Come off it, will you two?!"

"Now what fun would that be?" Merlon chuckled, and I glared at his beady eyes behind the hood. "Seriously, though, I do wish you both the best. And again, Mario, contact me if you're in need of anything."

"How do I do that, exactly?" Mario pulled a small crystal ball out from his overalls and looked it over. "Is there a spell, or do I shake it, or…?"

"Just whisper my name and rub it a little," explained Merlon. "That should do it."

"Covert," I muttered.

"As intended," agreed Merlon. "It is for emergencies, typically. However, if you're feeling lonely, Mario, then you're welcome to use it whenever—"

"Don't even joke like that!" I snarled at Merlon, who only laughed in response.

"Bowser, please." He rubbed my arm and smiled to me. Backing down a bit, only because of him, I nodded. Mario turned to the Shaman and waved. "Thank you, Merlon. For this, and for everything." He sighed as his shoulders dipped. "We'll try to get back here, as soon as possible."

"If it's allowed, of course."

"He's not my prisoner!"

"Actually, I wasn't referring to that," amended Merlon. "If you two resolve all matters that need to be taken care of, that need your immediate attention, then you can return. But do not fret over doing so before then." His eyes fixated on Mario, glowing softly. "Farewell, Mario, Bowser. I do hope that we meet again."

"We'll have to," I grunted. "Over that curse, right? Mario's needed, isn't he?"

"Perhaps."

"Regardless, let's hope that we meet again under better circumstances," Mario finished. "Take care of everyone here, Merlon."

"Such has always been my charge," he murmured. "But yes, I will continue to. Do enjoy your trip with one another." His eyes faded a bit. "Oh, and with the old Magikoopa as well, I suppose."

"Hey, I heard that!"

Merely chuckling, Merlon nodded as we waved to him. Passing over the star carving in the center of the summit, I turned toward Kamek, who had aleady climbed onto his broomstick. Mini-Kamek hovered around him, perhaps waiting to sit behind him.

Scooping up Mario, I jumped up and crashed into my Clown Car. It bounced from the ground and drifted into the air, the propeller below whizzing as I pushed it forward a bit.

"This thing does fly, right, Kamek?"

"Of course it does," snapped Kamek. "Did you think I wouldn't have tested that before we left?"

"You're the one that told me it didn't have a lot left in it!"

"Oh, hush, it's fine for now." He stashed his wand beneath his robes. "Now, enough waiting. We have a castle and a prince to return to."

Nodding, I placed Mario down beside me. Kamek flew forward with his broomstick, and I guided the Clown Car after him.

We soared over the purple mountains below us, flying off toward the waters ahead. I fixated on following Kamek, who abruptly spun about and whipped his wand at us.

"What is it?"

"Ah, just…making sure we stay together!"

He twirled the wand and a spell lit over the Clown Car. I listened as the propeller slowed beneath us.

"…You just told me—"

"Look, I was trying to convince myself too, ok?" He sighed and shook his head. "Just…it'll stay afloat now, for certain. And we'll be able to stick together better, like this."

My eyes lowered as Kamek spun back around and pulled us forward. Mario watched behind us, waving to Merlon as the Shaman sank into the distant view of Shooting Star Summit, and soon, Star Hill.

For a little bit, we watched the mountains disappear, and then gazed down at the dark waters below us. Kamek had forced himself to fly faster, and we glided along not too far behind him. The view whipped below us as our speed picked up, and I turned my attention to the sky as Mario stumbled backward. He held himself up between the end of the Clown Car and my waist, balancing himself again.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah." He shook his head a bit and turned, glancing at the space around us. He turned and rested his hands on the edge, watching the cloudy, night sky. "There's more room in here than I was expecting."

"Of course. I need room to fit at least one extra passenger." I grinned and wrapped my hands around his waist.

"You mean your prisoner, right?"

"If you want to get technical about it…" I slid my hands away from his body, only to have him pull them back around him. "Guess not."

"Well, you do have others that use these things, so 'passenger' makes more sense," he relented. Mario pivoted to face me and nodded. "At least there's still room for both of us to move around, if only just enough."

"Mm, enough for what, might I ask?" I bounced my eyebrows as he rolled his eyes.

"You're all kinds of disgusting."

"Yeah, all the kinds that you like."

My beam broadened at him while his face flushed, though he maintained his glower. Glancing back, I checked on Kamek and Mini-Kamek, who fixated ahead of us. Turning back to Mario, I bounced my eyebrows again.

"So, come on, Mario. We've got a bit of a ride back home." I tugged him closer into me, and his waist pressed against mine. "I think we should get comfortable, relax a bit." I lowered my face closer to his, breathing gently against his face. "Maybe I just kiss around that mustache a bit, massage your back a little…" I rubbed his back as his eyes lowered, and he softly moaned. "There we go, relax."

"B-Bowser…"

He nearly melted into my arms as he placed his hands against my chest. My eyes lowered as I gazed into his, entranced by his deep blue eyes once again. I brought one hand beneath his chin and gently raised it as I brought my lips near his.

"That's it…nice and easy…"

"Oh, Lord Bowser!" I winced at Kamek's shouting. "This reminds me of so many years ago, just us flying around in the night sky! Especially with a Toady here."

Mario chuckled as I groaned and reluctantly pulled away from him. I turned as Mario walked over to the front of the Clown Car.

"Really, Kamek?" I deadpanned and dropped my head against my hand, leaning against the edge of the craft. "What of?"

"Years ago, remember? When we kidnapped Mario's brother, back when they were still babies?"

Picking my head up, my eyes narrowed as I glared ahead at Kamek. My grip against the edge of the Clown Car tightened.

"N-no, I don't remember that well," I growled.

"Of course, you were still plenty young yourself," laughed Kamek. "Oh, I remember it was ages ago, back when we were still even investigating the different children that your father baited us out after, trying to find the ones that were important." He laughed again as I grinded my teeth. "How humorous, isn't it, that Mario did grow up to become such a large and important part of your life? And yet it was his brother that was always the easier of the two to snatch."

"Yeah…funny…"

Glancing down, I caught a glimpse of Mario tapping on the Clown Car's rim, staring off into the sky around us. My heart hammered while his fingers drummed lightly against the ship. Returning my glower to Kamek, my grip tightened again, my nails digging further into the rim.

"Ah, you know what, boy?" Kamek chuckled as Mini-Kamek hovered around him. "This also reminds me of so many adventures, where we traveled off to kidnap Princess Peach herself!"

" _Really_ , Kamek?"

"Yes, quite!" He laughed, still staring ahead. "So many times, we'd fly out, off to Peach's Castle to kidnap the princess herself! Granted, it wasn't always dark out when we departed, but oh, the memories this brings back. I even remember you and I teaching Junior the route to Peach's Castle via the sky!"

"Right, yeah."

My hands shook as my eyes opened a little wider, though my glare fixated on the old fool that continued to spoil my moment. Mini-Kamek happened to turn back and panicked, whirling back around at Kamek. He poked at the Magikoopa as I growled.

"Oh, and I do recall her helpless screams into the night, too!" Kamek laughed as Mini-Kamek poked harder. "She would cry out and call for help, with no one around to immediately rescue her! Oh, how we dreamt that we could seize her right to the kingdom then and there! Were it so simple, eh, Bowser?"

"Sure."

"Let's not forget the time—oh, what is it, mini-me?"

"Uh, um, sir, I, ah, think that, uh, you should, um…"

"What?" Finally, Kamek turned his head around, staring as I growled at him. "…Oh. Right, of course." He nervously chuckled and pulled his broomstick ahead, with Mini-Kamek tightly gripping to his back. "Pardon my interruption, Lord Bowser!"

"Yeah."

Still shaking with rage, I heaved out and tried to relax my racing heart. Returning my attention to Mario, who still stared out at the sky, I sighed and sank into the Clown Car.

"Nice night, huh?"

"It is night, right?"

"Um…isn't it?"

"Bowser, I asked you first."

"Right, well, I…" Nervously, I laughed. "Well, the sky is dark, so night it is!"

"Yes, I suppose."

He slightly turned back to me, eyes lowered. Against the dark shy, he was a lot more intimidating like that than I'd ever seen him, at least in this moment. Shivering, I sank further into the Clown Car.

Why isn't this damn thing even bigger?

"S-so…thanks again for coming!"

"Of course." He slightly smiled to me, and I my heartbeat slowed down a bit. "You didn't expect me to leave you alone again, did you?"

"No, no, of course not!" I forced out another awkward laugh, and then clamped my claw over my mouth. Releasing it slightly, I hesitated before continuing. "It's just…I wasn't sure if it was better for you."

"Better?"

"Well, between coming with me and staying to practice training." I clawed my hand through my hair, as if the wind wasn't blowing it around enough. "We did decide on it being important before, when that choice originally came up, so I wasn't sure…I mean, if you wanted to—"

"I wanted to come with you."

Mario turned directly to me and gazed into my eyes. My face burned up a bit and I lowered my head, avoiding his stare for a bit as I nodded.

"Oh." I paused and quickly added, "W-well, thank you!"

"Is there something wrong, Bowser?" I raised my shoulders at Mario's question. "Besides Kamek's awful timing and choice of memories?"

"Nope, that takes the brunt of it."

"Then look me in the eyes and tell me that again."

With a heavy sigh, I picked my head back up and met Mario's blue eyes. Part of me wanted to turn away again, but there's a calmness in them that relaxes me. His eyes are the hardest to turn away from.

"Bowser?"

"It's…I…" Shuddering, I swallowed hard. "I'm just upset about the spoiled moment."

"And that's all that's on your mind?" He folded his arms and frowned. "We have a whole trip home together, and there's nothing that you want to go over before we get there?"

"…Well…"

"Please. Talk to me."

"Look, I'm worried about having taken you away from something more important." He opened his mouth to repeat his argument, but I covered it. "No, wait. It's just…I know that what you were learning is more important. You can try to put me at ease all you like, but…I'm selfish for having you come back." I sighed and shook my head. "It's like before, with the hamlet's Shamans, how every time I help anyone else, it blows up in my face." Weakly, I chuckled. "I can't even help you without ruining that, and now you're more concerned about helping me, and I don't understand why."

Waiting a moment, something soft and wet started to rub against my palm. Pulling my claw away from Mario, he slipped his tongue back between his lips. For a moment, I stared before I burst out laughing.

"Now who's the disgusting one?"

"Still you," he teased, "because I bet you liked that."

"Ha…you're right."

"Glad that you recognized that, because I'm about to be right on a few things, and you're going to listen to them." My mouth dropped open as he grabbed my hands, lacing his into them. "You haven't screwed anything up, particularly not with me. We made it to Star Hill on your ship, with your crew. No one managed to really damage us thanks to your efforts, and especially thanks to your protectiveness, at least with me. I've learned even just a little bit of magic because you persuaded me into it; I might not have been able to if it weren't for you." He rubbed his thumbs around my palms and smiled to me, though I couldn't return it. "Bowser, I could go on, but do I really need to? You've helped me so much, and I just wish you could see that, see what I see before me."

"A monster and greedy king?"

"No, my boyfriend and…my hero."

My heart throbbed at him calling me that. A first, from him, and the first I've been called that in a long time. My mouth dropped as his smile brightened.

"Truly, I don't think that I could have faced everything so far on my own," he continued, rocking our hands around. "Usually, I can muster the bravery or sheer will to force myself into adventures that go beyond me, but recently, what helps me go forward so often is you."

"…T-that can't be right."

"Of course it is, Bowser!" He became more desperate to have me understand, pretty much pleading by now. "Why don't you want to accept that?"

"Because I can't." My shoulders slumped as my body deflated. "Mario, I'm not good enough for you. I'm not enough…I can't be all you want."

"Back to you not being my 'end goal,' right?" I perked up at that. He remembered? "Before, back at your castle, you dropped that line on me. Why?"

"It's the truth," I protested. "You can't just want me. I've…I've been a terror to you."

"In the past, sure—"

"And that's all it takes!"

"You're over thinking it."

"Am I?"

"Yes," he snapped. "You are."

"Oh really? How?"

"What am I worth?"

Jerking my head back, I studied his face. His eyes are still locked on me, and his face is just a little contorted, analyzing me too. He's not happy with what we're talking about, but this question…?

"Mario, what do you mean?"

"Think about it. What am I worth?"

"A lot." He waited when I didn't continue, so I'm forced to elaborate. "Look, you're the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, Peach's most trusted ally, a confident older brother, and—"

"All of that has been blown away." He shook his head and I raised an eyebrow. "Right now, I'm not the hero. Sure, I'm trying to be ready to help everyone, but I haven't been the hero for the kingdom. Peach is saving her own citizens with my friends. I'm spending all of my time with you."

"Ok, sorry—"

"Let me correct that: I'm  _choosing_  to spend my time with you."

"Not really," I argued. "You had to, in order to be rid of the curse and because I kept you at my castle, and…it's because of me."

"Don't you think I'd try harder to escape again, if I didn't want to?" He forced a smile as he placed my hands around his waist. "Wasn't that the point of before, when you tried to win me back over?"

"…Yes…fine, so you're not the hero, or not right now," I relented. "But—"

"Peach knows." My eyebrow went up again. "Merlon informed me that she knows about us."

"She does?!"

"Yep. Guess what? I'm probably not her most trusted anymore." My heart sank hearing that. "She might not even trust my brother because of that."

"B-but…she can't just…hate you."

"Why not?" He brought his hands up to my face, and stroked my cheeks. "I'm in love with her greatest enemy. That's a strong level of betrayal, isn't it? Would you be friends with someone that could hurt you like that?"

"N-no, but…you two…Mario, I didn't—"

"Don't try to apologize." He kept smiling at me. "I chose this." He rubbed his hands over my snout, gently massaging me. "While I don't know how it'll end, I would like for us all to be friends. But right now, Peach probably hates me. And losing her favor will definitely lose the kingdom's favor."

"They love you."

"They love their hero, who we just established is currently not theirs."

"…T-there's still—"

"My brother?" He forced a bitter laugh. "We argued before you took me back, and he was repulsed by my choices." Tears lined my eyes and burned as they settled. "He may still love me as a brother, but he didn't like the road that I had taken. And I wasn't able to really get that through to him, I don't think." His voice broke a little as he continued. "I can't be a confident older brother when I don't have my twin's support behind me."

"Have I…ruined you?"

"Not at all, Bowser. These were my decisions." He cleared his throat and still smiled to me. "But they have left me with nothing. So, I ask you again: what am I worth?"

"Just because…look, things might not be great now, but—"

"Answer me."

My heart practically crashed against my stomach as it throbbed; what more could I tell him?

"Bowser, I have nothing to offer. Unlike you, a king, even one that isn't recognized by the greater kingdom, still has a lot to offer to others. You're still the leader of many, and you still hold your family and advisors close." He shrugged. "I don't have any of that. There's no fortune behind me, nothing special remaining." Mario sighed. "The answer is that I'm worth nothing."

"That's not true!"

"It is."

"No, it's not!" I growled and brought my hands to his shoulders, shaking him. "You're my boyfriend! That's worth plenty to me! I don't give a damn about who hates you, or how hard the world around us crashes! You…you're everything to me."

Those last words stayed with me, for a moment. I've stopped shaking him, resorting to just tightly gripping him. Mario looked at me, worried, but I needed him to understand.

"I don't care what they want or feel, because they don't see what I do. You break yourself ten times over again and again trying to help this whole kingdom. In spite of loving me, you'd put that aside to save even just one Toad. A curse infected you, and you'd rather spend time helping me deal with insubordination and even risk death just to keep me alive!" Tears streamed down from my eyes and across my cheeks, but I kept going. "Every time I want to crush people with an iron fist, you show me that there's another way. The reason that you practiced magic, something you viewed as dangerous, was to protect the entire Mushroom Kingdom! And you're so selfless that you're giving that up, all so you can help me protect my son."

A tear fell from his face, and then another. I don't understand why he still smiled, but it was harder to maintain. I couldn't even hope to bring about one for myself.

"Don't ever think you're worth nothing, Mario," I urged, softer this time. "I don't give a damn what this kingdom wants from you. Blood, maybe? They don't deserve it, if they can't see just how much you tear yourself apart for them." My smile came easy with that. "You're worth more than anyone deserves, myself included. Mario, you're everything."

"Even when I have nothing?"

"You can have less than nothing, and I'll still love you more than anything."

"That's a powerful 'end goal,' huh?"

…What?

"Really, your end goal is someone whose worth could truly net no value, and yet, you place him—me—on a pedestal."

"Did…did you just—?"

"Go through all of that to make a point?" He grinned. "Yes."

"…You crafty, little—"

"Call me what you like, but you get it, because you understand me now."

Still puzzled, I remained still as he brought my face closer to his. He combed his hand through my hair and continued to massage my face.

"Sure, you're a king, right now. As it stands you mean a lot, and you're powerful." He rubbed beneath my chin. "But that's not what I'm with you for. I wasn't immediately certain, but I've learned. You've done so much for your kingdom, your people, your family, and for me." His hands returned to my cheeks and rested there. "I have been in this kingdom for a long time now. But all I want from it has boiled down to you. Everything I've given, you try to give back to me. Every time I crumble, you bring me back together. When I'm at my weakest, you push me to be strong." I quivered against him, and gazed deeply into him. "Bowser, all I ever wanted was someone like you. And I don't even know if that exists, because you became that someone for me."

My heart pounded against my chest as my hands slipped around his back and waist. Gently, my tail swayed as it tapped against my legs, helping me realize that this was real, that he was actually telling me this.

"You're my goal, Bowser. Not because you're a king, but because you're who I love." His beam brightened still, and I grinned with him. "We've sacrificed a lot for one another so far, and we're not done yet. But I don't feel weaker with you. I feel stronger now than I have felt in a while, possibly ever. And I want you, need you, to understand that, because you already proved that you know that about me."

"Mario, I love you."

"And I love you, Bowser."

That's all I needed to hear. Bringing my hand behind his head, as he guided my face forward, we kissed. I rubbed around his back and ran my fingers though his soft hair, as he pressed his lips tighter against mine. His hands ran over my cheeks as we tilted our heads to deepen the kiss. My tongue pressed through his lips, sliding against his mustache going forward. He ran his over mine, tapping gently as his tongue brushed along my mouth. We moved around, trying to make it tighter, and I pulled him as close to me as I could.

For a minute, we parted to breathe, if just barely. Quickly, we closed the space, and kissed again. Breathless, maybe, but I didn't care. My lips were locked against his. Taking one hand, I guided his down against my side, and shivered. My tongue brushed against his lips again as I steadied his hand along my waist. Softly, I brushed my tail against it, pushing it into his hand as he pushed his tongue into my mouth again. My other hand rubbed up and down his back, doing what I could to bring him impossibly closer to me.

Again, we broke apart, and panted as we caught our breaths. Wind whipped against us as I pulled my head back. Smiling, I gazed into his beautiful blue eyes again, and he smiled right back to me.

This flight back will be over far too soon for us.

* * *

**[Meanwhile]**

Bowser's ten minions made their way along the edge of Star Hill's paths, over to the xebec. As they approached, Goomphen tripped and crashed onto his face. Everyone stopped and turned back to the fallen Goomba.

"Ouch…"

"Hang on." Koopella walked back and brought the Spiked Goomba back to his feet. "You ok, Goomphen?"

"S-sort of…"

"Relax," eased the Koopatrol. "We'll be fine."

"B-but…w-what about…Lord B-Bowser?"

"Odds are favorable that Lord Bowser will return home safely with Mario," surmised Tech Guy. "The weather doesn't seem to have taken any negative turns, and they have little opposition on the route home."

"Wonder what they'll talk about on the way back," mused Niall.

"Ha…I have an idea of what they could go over," purred Nix. "In fact, I hope they do more than just talking."

"Weren't you moping about not going with them before?" Jasmine placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head at him. "I'm glad you've gotten over it so easily."

"Don't remind me."

"Ehehe…it could be much worse, Nix," giggled Ruby. "Oho, so much worse!"

"Gracious, Ruby," chided Olive, "must you set such a precedence for dealing with Boos?"

"Ohoho…I'm just telling the truth." The Boo floated around the Blooper. "Wouldn't it be far worse if we—"

An explosion rang out into the air. The ten whirled around and watched as another burst rang out, and blasted over the xebec. Eyes widened, they watched as flames engulfed the ship, surging as more fire blew up around it.

"Just so we're clear," interrupted Bombkin, "no, I didn't bring any stowaways with me."

"Who could have—?"

"There!"

Scanning the cliffs around them, Bowser's minions locked onto a stone pillar not far from ship. A statue-like figure in black robes watched as the boat burned, with only the ends of the clothes waving in the wind.

"Everyone, prepare yourselves," ordered Bombkin. "We're not going to let that lout make a Bob-omb Festival out of us!"

"Your festivities are awfully—"

"Glaucus, don't."

Niall and Nix soared into the air, but halted at a distant crash of thunder. The figure turned to the ten, but they couldn't make out any kind of a face, not even eyes.

An arm lifted up as lightning struck down, crashing against the airborne pair. Both dropped to the ground, twitching from the electricity.

"Monster!"

Tech Guy and Koopella grabbed spears from the pack, and quickly vaulted them through the air.

A massive orb of water blasted up from the ground, snatching the spears. The center froze them in place, and created a barrier of ice to lock them in, before plunging back to the waters below.

"W…what?!"

Abruptly, the earth beneath the group rumbled, knocking them around.

"Earthquake! Brace yourselves!"

They waited as the ground continued to shake, but nothing happened. After a moment, it slowed to a stop.

"Wh-what's g-going on?"

As everyone turned back to the figure on the stone pillar, they hesitated on their next attack.

Suddenly, another figure in dark robes appeared before the group, and lashed out at them, shooting Ruby down with a couple of fireballs.

"How the—?!"

It zipped forward and punched hard into Koopella, denting the Koopatrol's armor in. She gasped and fell over as the figure pulled back.

"Enough of this!" Bombkin lit his fuse. "You want to have a real blast?"

Again, the figure lifted an arm, but nothing appeared visible from its sleeve. From the hole, a gust of wind, with bits of snow, glided out, and quickly extinguished Bombkin's fuse.

"Huh…?"

Scooping its hand up, a column of ice hoisted around Bombkin, freezing him just above the ground.

"That's more than enough."

Spiraling around in his shell, Glaucus launched forward. The figure pulled its arm back, but was hit by a small bullet.

Glaucus's shell slammed square into the figure's body as it stumbled back. Jasmine fired another bullet from his muzzle, hitting the figure again. Goomphen charged forward, and threw his head at the figure.

Colliding, Goomphen bounced off of the figure, which vanished just before it hit the ground. The Goomba gasped and crashed to the ground himself.

They turned again to find the same figure still standing atop the pillar. Olive fired a ball of ink at it, only to watch it vanish before her attack landed.

"What just…happened…?"

"Looks like we just met our enemy," announced Glaucus. "We have our work cut out for us."

He turned and shook his head to his allies, who deflated. Shaking it off, Olive floated over to help Koopella up while Goomphen poked at Ruby. Jasmine adjusted her nozzle and spat fireballs to thaw out Bombkin. Tech Guy checked on Niall, then Nix, and dug around his pack to find something to help them.

Staring at their burning ship, Glaucus watched the embers dance, and then turned to the vacant pillar. He shook his head before waddling over to help his allies.

It would be a very long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it almost ended with a cute and happy conclusion, but what would romance be without drama?
> 
> Happier? Eh, nobody likes happy, simple romance.
> 
> So, Bowser knows about the Koopalings' plot and pretty much can't stop them. Bummer. He can, however, hurry back home to protect Junior and quell his fractured army. Right? Well, if not, Mario's going to be there to help him out!
> 
> While I realized that this would force Mario's magic training to end for the time being, I figured that it wouldn't be a very fun story to slowly watch Mario develop his skills under Merlon's tutelage while everyone else goes to war. Though, that was a better story for Merlon himself to enjoy. His precious pupil shouldn't be gallivanting off to fight, not yet. Ah…poor Shaman. But, he did leave Mario helpful advice and means to communicate with him again, so that's a plus. (And probably necessary, considering the ending, whoops!)
> 
> Meanwhile, it was nice to give Bowser a bonding moment for his troops. I think it's been glimpsed at in previous chapters, that Bowser does care for his troops without showing it much, but it's not something that we've seen him spend time over. He actually had to leave some of his most loyal soldiers behind, in a mostly unexplored location, with only their word to guarantee their survival and protection of Mario from afar. That's…hefty, even for Bowser to handle. Hence, tears.
> 
> Speaking of, yay, lots of crying in this chapter! Specifically, from Bowser himself! Maybe I have a sick desire to watch him cry, I dunno. But it was very emotional for him, arguing Mario's worth upon continuing their discussions from prior chapters. Though Mario made those points to prove how much Bowser means to him, he also got his feelings returned tenfold from the king, as they both realized just how much they appreciate one another's efforts. Because, now that we stop and hear them talk it out, they've given up a whole lot for each other, huh? Ah, love. Sacrifice. So synonymous, no? …No? …Oh. Oops.
> 
> Oh well, at least they had really deep kisses and mushy moments, no thanks to Kamek! I couldn't resist having the old Magikoopa spoil the mood by accidentally recalling Bowser's wicked deeds in the past. Oh, Kamek; your timing is terrible. But, hilarious. And, it worked out, since it got Bowsario to pause, really think about what matters, go over that with each other, and then totally make out. So, maybe Kamek is the true mastermind of the relationship?! …Yeah, no. It just worked out.
> 
> But, while Bowsario enjoys the trip home, things did take a turn for the worst, as Bowser's Loyalists were forced to face off with an unknown enemy. Is this a Shaman as well? And could it be the same one that cursed Mario? It'll be up to those grunts to learn more going forward, but the real question is, can they handle it? Perhaps we'll see, or perhaps it's a long way off.
> 
> This whole chapter kind of felt like an endgame one, but there's still more to come!
> 
> In fact, for next time, we're bouncing back over to…oh! Peach's army traveling to the Mountains to deal with their tumultuous emotions on top of fighting off the assault from the Koopalings. Yay, conflict!
> 
> Until then, that's it for now. Feedback is what keeps me going, so please, send me a review or message! Comments, questions, and criticisms are welcomed. It all helps me with building up the next chapter, so it's always great to hear from lots of readers! If you can, it really is great. Plus, it bumps up the story's overall recognition, which is always good. More readers, more love.
> 
> Anyway, that's all for now. Thank you again for reading!


	37. A Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Journeying through the Mountains, Luigi must figure out how to cooperate with his allies, who are drastically divided. Will Pauline be able to help him out? Meanwhile, the Koopalings continue their schemes…to what end?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this chapter took so much longer than I wanted, and I am so sorry. Thank you for your patience.
> 
> To make up for that, I made sure that it was extra long! Because, you know, you guys needed that. Right? Totally. Words rule.
> 
> …Don't look at me like that, I guilt myself enough.
> 
> Anyway! Read ahead for the latest chapter! And enjoy!

**[Junior]**

Below Papa's castle and at the end of a dark, stone hall, I run ahead to the hangar. I stop and watch as Roy and Morton carry crates to the Airship. Groaning, I run again at them, and they stop as they hear me approach.

"What do you two think you're doing?!" My hands are already turning into fists.

"Uh, well," starts Morton. "Let's see…carrying crates." He looks around before smiling at me, but I'm still angry.

"Morton, I already know that!" I'm this close to yelling. "Why are you loading crates onto my Dad's Airship?!"

"Look, Prince Junior," butt in Roy, "we need to go for a little—"

"I'm not an idiot, Roy!" I fold my arms together and glare at him. "You're going to the Mountains, and you guys already sent troops there to continue attacking it!"

"That would be correct." We all turn to watch Ludwig step from the Airship's ramp, with Wendy and Larry standing back on board behind him.

"Why? We already captured it, and we have troops there to keep our hold on it!"

"Because, Prince Junior," mockingly continues Ludwig, "our goal is no longer to just make sure that we maintain the Mountains as our territory." He narrows his eyes and makes a fist. "It's to ensure that we crush Peach and her little band of fools once and for all."

"Are you kidding me?!" My arms fly up in the air. "We can't do that! Mario's not going to like that one bit, and Papa told us not to go after them!"

"That is no longer an option, Junior." Ludwig shakes his head, and I still feel like he's making fun of me by how he's looking down on me. "We need to stop them because they've already reclaimed five territories from us. If we allow them any more quarter, then we'll be facing the usual invasion forces at this castle in no time."

"But—"

"Prince Junior, we're just trying to keep Mario here too." Roy's better to talk to than Ludwig, and he's not acting like as much of a jerk. "If Peach gets here, she'll fight to get Mario back. And she'll go after King Bowser over it." He adjusts his sunglasses and frowns more. "You don't want them to do that, do you?"

"No, but—"

"Then our actions are in line with your desires." Ludwig waves to Wendy and Larry, who turn back and disappear on the ship.

"Stop it! They're not the same, Ludwig!" I stomp my foot down, but that doesn't seem to bother the Koopalings. "I want Papa to take control of the Mushroom Kingdom too, but we can't just do this!" I grab my scarf and tug tightly on it. "Are you planning on using the Toads too?"

"Yes." Ludwig doesn't even try to hide it. "We will force Peach into fighting us for those Toads, and we will crush her forces. Once she's defeated, this kingdom will be ours."

"You can't do that," I argue again.

"We really have to, Prince Junior," starts Morton. "You're still young, so you don't understand it, not entirely. My siblings and I have had to grow up in a kingdom that's ruled under Peach's tyranny. She and the rest of her family set up laws that forced most of us out into these dark lands." Morton looks angry, but he's not directing at me. "I'm sick of my family having to live in fear of whatever Peach decides for our kind. She tolerates Koopas one day, but will be outright evil to them on the next day." He shakes his head and slams his fist, which makes me jump. "I'm not standing for that anymore!"

"Well, I think I get that," I try to tell him, "but we can't just have you guys go over there—"

"Everything is already in motion," interrupts Ludwig. The Airship behind him begins to vibrate and make whooshing noises. "This Airship is leaving and we're going to the Mountains. You are to remain here, where you will be safe, until we return victorious."

"When my Dad hears about this, he'll be furious!"

"Perhaps I'll need to remedy that," mumbles Ludwig, and I watch him pull out his wand.

For a minute, I raise my fists and take a step back, ready to fight. But Roy bats Ludwig's wand down, puts down his crate, and steps between us.

"Back off, Ludwig!"

"Roy, I am your brother," Ludwig growls.

"And he's the Koopa Prince," snarls Roy.

"It won't hurt him; I just need to clear his head."

"No, Ludwig." Roy raises his fists. "We're not doing this, not to the kid."

"Please, Ludwig, he's right."

Morton puts down his crate and lays his hand on Ludwig's shoulder. He looks even more annoyed at Morton, but doesn't move. Morton looks…calm, somehow.

"Junior already knows that we have the Toads, and there's no erasing that without complications." Morton shakes his head. "Just leave him to go back inside the castle. King Bowser can't stop us at this point, and we'll make him proud by winning this."

"That's wrong, Morton!"

He looks at me and frowns, but turns back to Ludwig, who's still annoyed.

"This isn't what we're here for," continues Morton. "I'm fighting Peach, not Koopas."

"Ditto on that," agrees Roy.

"…Fine." Ludwig lowers his wand completely and shakes his head at me. "You just don't understand the sacrifices that we need to make these days. Not even King Bowser truly understands anymore." He turns away and walks back onto the ship. "But it doesn't matter. We'll fix this. We'll fix everything."

"You're not fixing anything!"

Before I can run after him, Roy blocks my way. Morton picks up their crates and heads back up after Ludwig.

"Roy, come on, you can't do this," I try again.

"Kid, I have to. Koopalings stick together." He smiles at me. "But trust us: we really want what's best for the Koopa Kingdom. And we'll make sure that we get it done." He quickly rubs my head and turns away from me. "Don't worry, Prince Junior! We'll make you and King Bowser proud."

After that, the Airship begins to move and flies from the hangar. I want to argue again as it flies away, and I want to run on board to stop the Koopalings. This can't be the right way, but I'm not sure of what else to do.

And before I can think of anything else, the Airship is already gone.

* * *

**[Afterwards]**

"Held up by the kid, huh?"

Larry folds his arms as Ludwig, Morton, and Roy enter the main cabin. Morton sighs, shakes his head, and joins Lemmy, watching the journey through the sky. Ludwig scowls at Larry, but then turns it on Roy, who shrugs.

"We're not getting ourselves into deeper problems than we're already in." Roy lifts his sunglasses and pinches his brow. "King Bowser's already livid with us over enough stuff, and now this."

"You do realize that we act independently from Bowser plenty of times, right?"

The larger Koopaling turns to Wendy, who spins around in her chair as she files her nails. Past his claw, Roy glowers at her, as she glances over her nails.

"Didn't you want to keep working with him?"

"Yes, and I do so love a good romance to follow." She reaches over to the desk before her and runs her nails across the pages of a book. "That doesn't change the fact that I don't need his blessings to do as I see fit. And I do see this as a necessary move."

"Didn't we all agree to this?" Ludwig folds his arms. "This is for the good of our people, for the kingdom. The sooner that we deal with Peach—"

"The sooner we can get everyone to fall back in favor with Bowser," piped up Lemmy. "That was the point of keeping those other lackeys from the games alive!"

"Stopping Peach doesn't see to fixing everything." Larry runs a hand through his spiky, ice blue hair. "There's no way that clears up everyone from looking unfavorably on Bowser's…tryst and a half."

"Oh please; it's beyond that, and you know it."

"Fine, but my point stands, Wendy."

"We're not looking to fix everything," interrupts Ludwig. "We're looking to get started on making real changes. It's for his own good, but more importantly, the good of the whole kingdom."

"Taking down the beloved political figurehead sounds like a good way to make ourselves the public enemies number one," counters Morton.

"Ditto." Roy lowers his hand and glances around at the two shelves of books, and then turns to the cabins maps of the Mushroom Kingdom. "We're only getting everyone to hate us, and that goes for both sides of this war."

"If we can play this right, it won't end that way."

"And do you have a real counter to Princess Peach?" Roy folds his arms and turns back to Ludwig. "Can you really take her on, with that super powered scepter?"

"I have strategies."

"Damn it, Ludwig!" Morton spins around, teeth clenched. "You told me that you were sure of this!"

"I am sure."

"Strategies are plans, Ludwig! Plans put into practice don't always work!"

"They've got you there," chimed in Wendy. "You assured all of us that we could take on Peach and her friends."

"We can, and we will," reaffirms Ludwig. "This is doable, I promise."

"No, it's not." Morton slams a fist into his hand, arms shaking. "You're putting our family at risk again, because you're too busy trying to solve too many damn problems at once."

"You're better off when you're silent muscle," mutters Ludwig.

"I'm better off when my brother isn't dragging us down with him!"

"The Toads are leverage for a reason," explains Ludwig. Digging through his hair, he shakes his head. "Just trust me on this, ok?"

"Pretty sure playing with Peach's emotions is a bad idea," reasons Wendy. "Have I taught you nothing as a sister?"

"Guys, there's no going backwards from this," cuts in Larry. "We made this choice, and we have to see it through. Peach and her friends are going to reach us, but we're going to be ready. This is going to work, one way or another."

"There, see?" Ludwig smirks. "You should all have Larry's optimism."

"That's just our youngest brother following his oldest brother, as usual," teased Lemmy. "He always needs some kind of role model to look after, be it you, Bowser, or any of us, when he's low on options."

"Watch it, half-pint!"

"Oh, come on. I'm older, and I'm not that much shorter!"

"That doesn't mean you can just—"

"Ok, ok, enough," calls out Morton. "Larry's right, and we're committed to this. Let's just do it together, all right?"

"Yeah, we're lucky that we still have troops to bring with us," grumbles Roy.

The cabin door opens again, and the Koopalings turn as Iggy walks in. He grins to his siblings, and adjusts his glasses. Ludwig steps forward to him.

"Well?"

"Their cages are prepared and ready to go," reports Iggy. "Who would have thought my little scheme for a prank would turn into something more…terrifyingly ingenious?"

"Is it really that impressive?"

"Probably not to any of you," decides Iggy. "But to Peach? It'll do the trick."

"Good. We're not looking for grandiose; just whatever gets the job done."

"Right." Iggy nods and glances out the window. "How long until we get there?"

"Not long."

"Good," murmurs Roy. "Then excuse me as I go hit something for a bit."

Placing his sunglasses back over his blue eyes, Roy turns and walks out. Morton takes a second before following him. Wendy returns to checking her nails before reading the book before her.

"Want to play ball, Iggy?" Lemmy pulls out a yellow one with stars on it. "Might as well, right?"

"See?" Larry folds his arms. "You're so childish, and yet you want to go on about how much older you are than me."

"Hey, it's good to lighten up once in a while," counters Lemmy.

"Well…I could use something a little more relaxing." Iggy smirks. "Sure, let's go. Just…let's not play in the open air. Or you'll lose another ball."

"Yeah, but I've got plenty!"

Shaking his head, Iggy follows Lemmy out of the cabin as well. Rolling his eyes, Larry walks over to the maps to study them, as Ludwig turns back to the window, and quietly watches the ship's travels.

* * *

**[Luigi]**

The hike just getting to the vast, craggy brown and gray Mountains was filled with tension, even in moments of silence. Gazing ahead, I studied the other, taller mountains behind the first one we approached. Even still, as I glanced up the first one, I could barely see its summit.

Staring at the stony trails and plateaus before us, Peach continued to lead the way, with Daisy and Toadette right behind her. Birdo, who had been whispering to Yoshi the whole way over, kept nudging him, obviously concerned with what he was upset over. My shoulders slumped, knowing it was my fault.

"Luigi?" I jolted up and turned to Pauline. The entire way, I hadn't even paid attention to her outfit change, with her now wearing a red jacket, boots, gloves, and black pants to match her backpack. "Is everything ok? Well, obviously not, since you and your friends are still not communicating very well, but—"

"We'll manage, Pauline."

"Right, well…I still think your princesses are crazy for wanting to wear their dresses here." Pauline twirled some strands of her brown hair around her finger. I blinked and looked again at Peach and Daisy, also wearing better clothes suited for mountains. "Can you imagine them running on sand or through forests in heels?"

"Uh…they already did that?"

"What?! How?!"

"People in this kingdom have more resilience to natural environments, so—"

"No. That's not…nope." Pauline shook her head. "That's just insanity. I know you guys have a kingdom to save, but geez, even you and Mario shouldn't run around in the same shoes all the time for that."

"To be fair, we don't exactly worry about changing clothes while we're rescuing someone's life on top of the kingdom's."

"Ah, well…point made and taken." She folded her arms and smirked. "Though, we had enough time for you to change for this part of the adventure, so—"

"Pauline, these do double as boots, you know."

"Ok, ok."

Giggling a little, Pauline continued after the others, pausing to wait for me as I forced myself after her. Passing some rocky outcrop as I trekked up the dirt path, my feet began to sting with each step. The others turned around a bend as I glanced out over the end, looking down as we started to climb above the trees.

"He  _what_?!"

Wincing, I looked up at Yoshi, who had likely just told Birdo about everything. Barely looking at her, I flinched, catching a very dark glare. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that Yoshi was the one who had to hold her back.

"Uh…what happened there?" Pauline folded her arms again, leaning to me and pointing at Birdo. "Seems like he just got very angry with you, which…I thought Peach was."

"Actually, 'she' got angry.'"

"Huh?"

"Birdo, she's a…well, she." I pointed at Yoshi. "He's a male."

"Oh. Wait, I don't…she sounds like a…but, she, right?" I nodded at Pauline's questioning. "Ok, got it. Phew, glad you ran that by me first. Otherwise, gosh, that probably would've been embarrassing on my part."

"Um—"

"Yes, it would have, no matter how often that happens for her." Pauline sighed. "But, now, what's up with the two dinosaurs? Peach is super angry because of Mario, Daisy and Toadette are aligned with her on that, which trickles down to disliking you, but the dinosaurs—"

"Yoshi likes me."

"Aw."

"He has a crush on me."

"Oh. Ooh." Pauline blinked at Yoshi, then tilted her head and turned back to me. "Well, what about you?"

"He didn't exactly pick the best time to tell me." I shook my head. "My brother's kidnapped, has his own relationship issues to wrestle with, which could ultimately lead me to getting a literal monster-in-law, along—"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down there," cautioned Pauline. "Mario moves fast into relationships, but when we were dating, marriage wasn't even on the table, and we went for a while."

"Right, sorry." I sighed. "Still, Peach had just threatened our lives, and on top of everything, we're literally at war, so I…I don't know what to think right now." I turned to her. "Should I—?"

"Enemies ahead!"

At Toadette's call, we turned, and along stone plateaus above us, Stone Spikes waited atop them, spiked rock balls lifted and ready to be thrown. Peach raised her Royal Scepter.

"W-wait, Peach—"

She didn't even think of listening to me. Fireballs launched from her rod, and blasted each Spike, with their weapons crashing down over their heads. Cries of pain rang out, and I looked away from the first one before me, writhing in pain under its stony spiked ball.

"Princess Peach, that was harsh!" Pauline stepped forward. "Those are Mushroom Kingdom citizens as well, aren't they?"

"Not mine," snapped Peach, lowering her wand. "So long as they threaten us, they're enemies. Simple as that."

"But—"

"Would you rather I bottle up my aggression, same as my council and retainers desire?" Pauline shook her head and Peach nodded. "Good."

"It's not about you bottling your aggression though." Peach narrowed her eyes on Pauline, and I walked up behind her, not sure if I needed to cover her mouth or take a hit for her. "You're a just and kind ruler, Peach. Even on the battlefield, you shouldn't act totally merciless. It's out of character for your kingdom's perception of you."

"Out here, none of those people can see me." Peach turned away. "This is where I need to be strong." Her grip tightened on the golden rod. "I need to show Bowser's forces that they can't just walk all over us, like I've let them believe for years. They can't just kidnap my Toads and expect no retribution from me."

"Your anger is valid, and your reasoning for your actions is fair, but—"

"Just leave it alone, Pauline." Peach walked ahead along the path. "You're not the first to try stopping me from this."

Before Pauline could protest further, Peach stormed ahead, walking past the Spikes that squirmed on the ledges above. Daisy and Toadette glanced at one another before silently following her.

Shaking my head, I marched on, behind everyone else, no longer hearing much protest from the Spikes. We've had to fight off plenty of monsters before, and I've done so earlier without any problems. But…now…

As soon as I stepped clear of the ledges, Peach brushed past me, bumping into my arm. I opened my mouth to snap at her, but instead watched as she raised her scepter, launched heavy bursts of air, and blasted off the boulders atop our enemies.

Spinning the Royal Scepter, Peach raised it higher, as a dusting of pink drifted from the wand's heart-shaped head. Gasps sounded as the Spikes squirmed and rolled around, still breathing.

"See? That feels better, right?"

"No, it feels foolish."

She glared at me for a moment before turning back to lead everyone onward once again. I shrugged to Pauline, who deflated a bit from Peach's harsh words, and we continued on.

Scaling up the mountainside, we came to a patch of land surrounded by rocky columns. Birdo spat an egg into her hands, and glanced around, as Daisy twisted her Regal Rings on her fingers.

After a few seconds passed, crumbling sounded and Monty Moles emerged from atop each stone pillar. Twelve surrounded us as we gazed above us, and the moles raised stones to throw.

Birdo flung her egg first, striking the one nearest to her. The Monty Mole fell over backwards, and the stone dropped.

One stone soared near me, and I jumped back from it. Another flew at Pauline, who yelped as it neared.

A green and white egg smashed into the rock, and knocked it away from Pauline. She and I turned as Yoshi stared quietly at us, grasping another egg. He gasped as another stone smashed it from his hand, and he shook it quickly, wincing.

I glanced over as Toadette ducked behind Peach, who murmured to her rod. Daisy had crystallized gloves over her hands, and punched away at as many rocks as she could reach, with bits bouncing off of Toadette and Peach.

Turning, I managed to watch as one flew right at my head. Grasping my cap, I pulled it over my face as the rock hit. Soreness spread my forehead, and I imagine a bump already started to form.

Lifting my cap, I rubbed it, and checked for open cuts as well. No blood on the glove. Good.

My eyes wandered to Yoshi, who had another egg in his hand. He hesitated to look at me, and another stone smashed his egg again. He cried out and grasped his hand, as Birdo slid in front of him and spat an egg at another Monty Mole.

She missed, however, and it took off a chunk of the column that the mole stood atop. The boulder fell and slammed next to Toadette, who shrieked and clutched tightly to Peach's dress.

"Does anyone have any plans?" Pauline backed toward me, wincing at fragments that flew up near her face.

Abruptly, the ground rumbled beneath us as a stone tent rose up and enclosed us within it. We slowed our retaliations, turning as Peach lowered her wand.

"Good thinking, Peach," complimented Daisy, flexing her hands. She smirked at the crystal casings around them, a bit…proud, I think.

"Well, it's a nice defense," relented Birdo. "But, do you mind telling us how we're supposed to move on while trapped in here? Preferably without getting bombarded by more rocks."

"Considering that we take the constant risk of keeping you around," retorted Peach, "I'd imagine that this is nothing comparatively."

"Excuse me?!"

Smirking, Peach crouched down and had her rod touch the ground. A bright blue pulse crawled from the scepter, passed Peach, then the rest of us, and slowly disappeared outside of the rocky tent around us.

Once it was out of sight, Peach lifted her wand, and the earth around us rumbled. Toadette wobbled and fell over, while I struggled to keep myself from doing the same.

Another minute went by until the quake finally ended. With another wave of the Royal Scepter, the stones around us returned to the earth.

Each of the pillars from the area before had crumbled, and left the Monty Moles groaning from the rubble around and atop them.

With a roll of her shoulders, Peach patted Toadette, stood up, and took the path before her to proceed. Birdo, however, huffed and walked in front of her, forcing Peach to stop.

"Move," ordered Peach.

"No, you're going to run that one by me again," snapped Birdo. "What was that crap about me being a risk?"

"Like you wouldn't know?" Peach rolled her eyes. "Don't act like you haven't played for the villains before, Birdo."

"This again?!" Birdo clenched her fists, and her arms shook. "I'm helping you fight Bowser's army, you spoiled brat! I've done nothing but help out you and your twisted idea of a rescue party this whole time."

"To satisfy your own gain, I'm certain."

"As if no one else here does that?! Luigi's only helping to get his brother back, for starters!" Ouch.

"At least he's actually bothering for someone else's sake," defended Peach, to my surprise. "You, on the other hand, are most definitely in this for yourself and your benefit alone."

"How dare you!"

"Am I wrong?"

Just a moment of hesitation from Birdo was all Peach needed, and she laughed. Pulling back her hand, Birdo readied to swing, but Yoshi grabbed it.

"She may have started for personal reasons, but she's here to help regardless," defended Yoshi. "You should be happy with extra help."

"And you'd better shut your mouth where matters don't concern you," spat back Peach. "After all, you're looking to have relief for your island's famine, right?"

"But…before, you told me—"

"That I penalize your people over your actions," recalled Peach. "Perhaps I might change my mind on that matter, should you continue to falter in your cooperation."

Though his mouth opened to argue, Yoshi quickly shut it and lowered his head. Birdo let her arm fall from his weight and glared at Peach.

"You're undeniably despicable, Peach."

"Maybe, but I do what I need to ensure my kingdom's future."

Walking around the two, Peach coldly continued onward. Toadette lowered her head and hurried after Peach, while Daisy stared at her arms. Flexing them, her eyes widened when the crystals didn't react. Annoyed, she growled and slammed her fists together, shattering them. Shaking her hands, Daisy glanced at me before following Peach as well.

Moving forward, I walked to Yoshi, only to have Birdo step between us.

"Don't. You've done your damage already."

Darkly, she glowered at me and turned Yoshi away. My shoulders lowered and I watched as no one looked back before disappearing around the next bend.

"Yikes." I watched as Pauline slid next to me. "I was going to talk about how I was ineffective for that battle, but I think that's the least of our concerns."

"Just stay close to us," I cautioned, although that might not even be sound advice at this point.

Still, she nodded, and we strode ahead after the others. It didn't take long for us to catch up, and we watched as Peach, Toadette, and Daisy had started to climb scree. The trail vanished near the slope, but there were no other ways to go.

Gazing out from the ridge, I stared at the treetops from below. We had already climbed above them by a bit. Taking too long, I shuddered and faltered, while Pauline steadied me.

"Hey, come on, no fainting on me," she teased. "I need your help around here, remember?"

"S-sorry, you're right."

Bending down and sliding off her pack, Pauline dug into it as Yoshi and Birdo climbed up the scree next. Shifting my attention from everyone back to Pauline, I watched as she pulled out a gray staff. She then pulled it open and I stared at what looked like a cane.

"Um…do you need that?"

"Sure do!" She placed it down beside her and pushed herself up from the ground. "This is a walking stick that I brought specifically for rougher climbing, like here."

"Oh. That was pretty smart."

"Right? I figured that I'd be the only one struggling to scale this thing, so I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't fall too far back." She used the pole to lift her backpack up, and put it back on. "Ready?"

"Actually, I kind of wish I brought one of those myself."

"Luigi, you can jump like Mario. Those kind of acrobatics are support all on their own."

"Yeah, but we still need our own support," I countered. "After all, we need to vault from the ground in order to jump, and trampolines to jump higher."

"Hmm. I didn't think of that." She scratched behind her head. "Do you want to use this with me?"

"No, I think I can manage."

We started our ascension, and I stumbled over my first few steps. Holding out my arms, I rebalanced myself, and more steadily scaled the rocky debris. Pauline climbed slowly beside me at first, but gained a bit of a boost, able to push herself up with her cane.

As we climbed, I scanned the top of the slope, waiting for some enemy to drop boulders on us. Peach must have had the same idea, and I noticed that her scepter was raised ahead of her, glowing a bit. Still, I didn't notice anything come at us.

Reaching the top, Pauline helped pull me up as we finally reached leveled ground. I turned and watched a boomerang fly straight at me.

Quickly, Pauline smacked it away with her pole, and I watched it fly away from me, hitting the mountain and falling down the slope.

We turned back as Daisy punched down another boomerang, her hands encased in crystals again. Toadette scrambled and grabbed Peach's scepter, which had been knocked from her hands.

Yoshi and Birdo launched eggs ahead, hitting two Boomerang Bros. A third retaliated and knocked both dinosaurs back with another boomerang.

With that, I charged forward and jumped into the air, as a boomerang flew out at me. A heavy smack rang out and down I went.

For a moment, I just watched the sky, as the boomerang whizzed back over me. Peach gasped, and I watched the boomerang fly by again, with a clank that sounded a bit behind me.

Just as I pressed against the ground to get up, a red and blue blur jumped over me. My eyes widened and I quickly rolled around.

Mario…or, a much smaller version of him, rushed forward with two large mallets. He battered the three Boomerang Bros. before us, each faltering back with raised eyebrows.

Forcing myself up, I leapt forward again, stomping down on the first Boomerang Bro. He yelped and collapsed to the ground.

Daisy rushed forward and punched the second Boomerang Bro. into the mountain wall. She spun about and blocked the third's boomerang.

An egg soared over and collided with the last Boomerang Bro.'s head, knocking him to the ground. For extra measure, I watched Toadette jump forward and stomp on him, making sure that he'd stay down.

Shaking my head, I turned back to the little Mario that swung its mallets around. Squinting, I noticed a yellow wind-up mechanism on his back. Pauline walked over as it shut down, dropping the mallets.

"Thought this little Mini Mario might come in handy." She smiled and picked up the toy Mario, placing him back in her bag. "It made for a great distraction, wouldn't you guys agree?"

"Not bad, Pauline," I complimented.

Daisy smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. No one else commented, and Peach lead the way forward again. I frowned as Pauline placed the mallets back into her bag as well, apparently undeterred.

As I waited for her, Pauline tossed the bag back over her back and smiled to me.

"Are you ok?"

"Me? Fine," I lied.

"Hm." She twirled a strand of her hair around one finger and nodded as we started to walk onward. "You know, you seemed to come alive once you saw Mario."

"You mean Mini Mario?"

"Right, yeah." She paused as we stared off from the Mountains, gazing at the vale further below, along with a lake in the distance. "Wow, that's higher than I'm comfortable with already! So, uh, you're sure that you're fine, Luigi?" She ruffled the cap over my head. "I'm kind of like the sister you never had, right?"

"Sort of." I shook my head. "Really, I am fine."

"Ok, if you think so."

Nodding, we continued after the others. Reaching the peak of the first mountain, Peach and Toadette already ventured over the bridge connecting the pike of the first mountain to the second. Yoshi and Birdo followed, with Daisy after them, as Pauline and I brought up the rear. We paused as we stood before the wooden bridge, studying the ropes on it.

"Wow, rickety wooden bridge over an abyss we just climbed up." Pauline whistled as she stared down immediately. "Yeah…nothing bad could possibly happen here, right?"

"Now you're just jinxing us."

We laughed as Pauline stepped onto the bridge. It swayed a bit in a light breeze, and she quickly stopped. Waiting a moment, she continued forward, more carefully now. Waiting a moment, I followed her, and my heart skipped a beat from the creak of the plank below me. Refusing to even look down, I stepped forward, tightly gripping the ropes on the side of the bridge. In spite of Pauline's comments, the ropes were firm and sturdy.

Reaching the mountain on the other side, I turned to Pauline and shrugged, as she stared quietly back across the bridge.

"Honestly, how did nothing happen? Didn't you expect it to rip, or for some enemy to come and cut it on us?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm just paranoid." I shrugged again. "It was pretty unlikely, if Bowser's forces have no idea that we're here."

"But…they had to know we were here, if they already have troops attacking us, don't they?"

Almost as if on cue, four Fire Bros. rushed out from a cavern further along the trail. One spat a fireball, which Peach quickly countered with a fireball of her own. Pauline, however, turned and walked away.

"Where are you going?"

"Hiding behind that boulder over there." I glanced in the direction that she pointed, to a round rock down the path.

"But we've got enemies to fight!"

"Correction: you have enemies to fight. I'd like to not die." Pauline shook her head as I glanced at Yoshi throwing an egg before returning my attention to her. "Look, stones and boomerangs are one thing, and I can actually handle myself against those. But fireballs, those I can't handle." She shrugged. "I have my limits, you know."

While I opened my mouth to protest, I couldn't really think of a fair argument. Toadette walked beside me and placed her hands on her hips.

"You know, I'm not built for fighting myself, Miss Pauline, but I still try to help out when I can."

"Right, but that's fine for you," defended Pauline. "You actually have a tolerance to the difficult adversities that this place presents you guys. Heck, a good portion of the population here can jump higher than I thought physically possible." She waved from behind the boulder. "Just let me know when you guys finish them off, ok?"

"Let's be reasonable," cut in Birdo. "She's the weakest of us here, and we didn't really expect her to do that much."

"See? That works." Pauline nodded. "Harsh, but accurate. Good luck!"

Exchanging my worried expression with Toadette's skeptical one, we pivoted back to Peach firing a magical flame at the Fire Bros. Each member of the quartet dodged, but one fell back from an egg that Yoshi threw at him.

Birdo spat out an egg as well, but missed as a Fire Bro. slid under it. He spat out a fireball at her, and she winced.

Ducking down, I tackled her to the ground, as the fireball sailed overhead. I watched it fly back across the bridge, as Birdo pushed herself back up, shooting a glare at me. Turning back, we saw another fireball soar at Daisy, who had just spun away from the first one.

Daisy, however, punched the ground and tossed up a plate of earth, blocking the fire. Some embers flew off and caught onto her shirt, which she scrambled to pat out.

Toadette ran forward, sliding beneath a fireball. She jumped up to stomp down onto a Fire Bro., but was quickly barraged by two more flames.

A pink fireball crashed between the opposing bursts of fire, however, and Toadette safely fell back to the ground.

Jabbing her Royal Scepter forward again, Peach waved it in a circle. She then raised it again, pointing at a ledge above the Fire Bros.

One stone fell and bounced off the furthest Fire Bro.'s helmet. Two more cracked down beside it as a landside crashed down around three of the Fire Bros.

The fourth whirled around to watch the other three buried by stones. They groaned beneath the rubble as the remaining Fire Bro. shakily pivoted back to us.

Tossing up an egg, Birdo quickly launched it forward, slamming it into the Fire Bro.'s face and knocking him to the ground. We waited a moment as his head tilted away.

Pauline peeked out from behind her boulder before returning to us. She blinked at the four, felled Fire Bros. before she smiled.

"There you go. You guys did great. Just a little more teamwork, and that'd be perfect!"

No one seemed to even acknowledge Pauline, as Peach strolled past the mound of rubble and into the cavern of the mountain, leading the rest. Pauline sighed as she walked alongside me, and we continued after them.

"If this trip wasn't exhausting enough, the attitudes make it that much worse," she decided. "How long have you guys been like this?"

"Since we came back, before recruiting you."

"Wow." Pauline dragged her hand through her hair as we entered the cave. "Uh, I know that hasn't been too long, but that's already more than enough for me."

Inside, we stared across the cave, with a light in the distance that lead out…and the space below us filled with water. Along the way were some stones, established as the next part of our path.

The first, however, would force us to wade through the pool to get to it.

Peach walked down a slight hill that lead into the water, and entered slowly, shivering a bit. Toadette followed her in, and the water practically rose up to her chest after wading out a bit.

The rest of us waited a moment, and I glanced around at everyone's unsteady faces. Daisy had walked forward to climb in, and I stepped beside her.

"Something seems a little too quiet in here," she murmured to me, and I nodded.

Still, I stepped forward, but paused as Daisy walked alongside me. Staring down at her arms, I blinked, fixated on her crystal-encased arms.

"Is that…permanent now?"

"What? No, I just want to keep them up for any upcoming enemies." She smirked. "Besides, it's either this, a big water bubble shield that we don't need, or me using flower powers." Her grin grew. "You tell me which of those sounds most powerful."

"Power isn't all that we need though."

"Why not? It's been working well for Peach!"

Before I could argue that point, I stumbled forward, and she grabbed me to keep me from falling into the pool. I blinked, and shook my head. The first stepping-stone was closer already.

Glancing back, I watched Pauline following us out, while Yoshi and Birdo held hands before entering the water.

"Oh, P-Peach!"

Whirling back around, I spotted Toadette quivering, Peach tightening her grip on the wand, and both frozen in place. Squinting ahead, I spotted Cheep Cheep jumping around in the water, swimming quickly at us. Below the surface, I faintly sighted something boney, likely Fish Bones.

"Everyone, move!"

Daisy and I quickly followed Peach's order, splashing through the steadily rising water. Toadette had started swimming by this point, racing forward after Peach, with the water now up to her chest.

She shrieked as a Cheep Cheep jumped from the water near her. Peach quickly blasted it back with a fireball, knocking the fish back into the water.

Scrambling for the rock, Peach threw herself up on the stone, and quickly grabbed at a panting Toadette.

More Fish Bones sped beneath the water at us, as Daisy and I forced ourselves forward through the pool. One undead fish began to swim right at me.

Jumping forward, Daisy slammed down hard against the Bone Fish, and I heard it shatter even below the water.

Paddling ahead, I climbed onto the rock with Peach and Toadette, with the former jumping ahead onto the next stone. Daisy reached to climb up, and I grabbed for her arm.

Unfortunately for me, the crystallized limb was stronger than I, and in a moment, I went below the water.

I squeezed my eyes shut, as bubbles obscured my remaining vision. Before I had closed them, I watched as a Fish Bone swam at me.

Pressure formed against my back, and I grabbed at my throat. Abruptly, I was pulled upward, and snatched my hat before it slipped from my head.

Gasping, I was tossed away, and rolled across the rock. Daisy panted, and shook her head, as I pushed myself up on my elbows and knees.

Glancing up, a Cheep Cheep bounced from the water, but Toadette jumped up and stomped it onto the rock. She kicked it away from my vision, and a splash sounded as Toadette ran out of my sight.

Shaking my head, I fell over, but forced myself up again. Lifting my head, I gazed back out at Pauline, who tried her best to hurry through the water.

"Watch out!"

My breathless shout would do her no good, as another Cheep Cheep jumped from the water and tackled her down. The fish barreled at her again, and she couldn't even rise above the pool to scream.

Suddenly, a bubble formed around her, and slowly rose from the water. It drifted toward us on the stone. I shook my head and blinked, turning to watch Daisy sway her hands to guide the bubble closer.

The Cheep Cheep jumped up again, still trying to break in, but only bounced off of the bubble. It dropped back into the water and swam away.

"Great work, Daisy!"

Toadette applauded as the bubble sailed over the stone, and slowly opened. Pauline dropped down, harder than she expected, and she yelped from the drop, wincing at the landing. Her curvy brown hair was weighed down, soaked from being pushed under, and she wrung it out a bit, pushing strands from her face.

Daisy crouched down beside her, and I managed to crawl over to her. Pauline coughed a bit, still panting for air.

"Thank you," she managed in between her gasps for air, and Daisy winked.

"P-Princess Peach, wait a minute!"

Blinking, I glanced at Toadette, who was looking ahead now. Whirling around, I watched as Peach raised her rod, and quickly brought it down to the stone she stood on, as a Cheep Cheep flew over her and crashed back into the pool.

Faintly, a blue light pulsed from her rock and across the water around us. It rippled past Yoshi and Birdo, who flung eggs at the fishes that assaulted them, and to the ends of the water's edges.

For a moment, nothing happened…until a crackle rang out. My eyes widened as I watched ice forming around the edges of the water, and quickly began racing back to us.

"Yoshi! Birdo! Move it!"

Both dinosaurs gasped, ducking from a leaping Cheep Cheep. Racing through the water, they rushed as the pool rapidly froze behind them.

Leaping up as they kicked their legs, Birdo and Yoshi flopped onto the rock, but slid back. I forced myself forward and snatched at Yoshi's arms, dragging him up and onto the rock.

Falling back, I slipped and Yoshi crashed on top of me. A groan escaped me, and I clutched my head. Opening my eyes more, I spotted Yoshi blush before pushing up and away from me.

Sighing, I then quickly gasped and rolled around to force myself up. "Birdo!"

Staring at the frozen water before me, I scanned my immediate line of vision, and my heart sank. Tilting my head a bit, I spotted her ribbon, and whirled my head to catch Daisy patting Birdo's back, as Birdo shook her head.

Slamming her hands onto the stone, Birdo forced herself up. She glared, stormed past me, and to the end of the rock.

"Peach! What were you even thinking?!" Birdo coughed a moment, interrupting her yelling, though she soon recovered. "Yoshi and I weren't even out of the water yet!"

"And yet, you two made it all the same." Peach shook her head. "I'm sorry, but if I hadn't, we would never even be able to safely cross."

"You nearly froze us alive!"

"Not quite."

Another coughing fit stopped Birdo from arguing further, and Peach simply turned ahead to keep moving, jumping across to the next rock. By the fifth stone, however, she dropped down to her knees.

"Princess Peach!"

Toadette quickly leapt across the stones, hurrying to Peach's side to help her up. Daisy started after her, and jumped to the second stone, stumbling a bit before hopping over to the third.

Taking a minute to watch Yoshi as he patted Birdo's back, he slowly glanced back at me. Smiling a bit, he turned back to Birdo, rubbing her as she worked at controlling her breathing again.

Spinning around, I stumbled to Pauline, who helped herself back up from the ground. Shaking and shivering, she struggled a smile for me and walked over to the edge of the rock.

Jumping ahead, she failed to get enough distance and dropped onto the ice. Gasping and slipping, she flailed as I hopped down beside her, helping her steady her balance as we both slid about.

Chills rushed up and down my body and I trembled as we slid forward. Helping Pauline onto the second rock, I shook and pulled myself on after her, with Yoshi and Birdo jumping right over as I made it up.

Abruptly, a thud sounded and I listened to for the slightest crack. The four of us exchanged unnerved faces as we walked to the end of the rock, and peered down at Cheep Cheep and Fish Bones swimming up to the frozen surface, tackling it. Barely, the ice started to crack.

"Let's keep moving," insisted Yoshi, and I practically jumped at hearing his voice again.

Pivoting back around, we checked ahead as Daisy had taken the lead, turning back and waiting for Peach and Toadette to cross the seventh stone.

Staggering across the rocks, sometimes falling to the ice below, the rest of us chased after the princesses and Toadette, slipping and shivering as we went. Thuds and crackling crashed below us, and just the unclear sight of angry fish propelled us forward.

Reaching the end of the cave, I heard some ice shatter further back within. Climbing up the ledge and stepping back onto solid land, my heart hammered as I turned back. Birdo crossed last as she pulled up and out of my sight, while I stared back inside the cavern once more as ice chunks flew up.

Twisting around, I stepped forward with the others, as we regrouped. Peach had given the Royal Scepter to Toadette, and struggled to stand up straight. Daisy smacked her arms together, with only bits of crystals chipped away.

"Hey, Peach, are you going to be ok?"

She turned to Pauline, who brushed back more of her hair from her face, the rest of her wet strands straightened to the back. Huffing, Peach nodded, though crouched down a bit closer to the ground.

Growling into a yell, Daisy slammed her arms together, and shards of crystals flew away from her. She gripped her arms and softly groaned, wincing as she gently rubbed herself.

"Maybe we should take a minute to rest," I suggested, as Birdo and Yoshi sat down for a moment.

"W-we can't though," protested Toadette. "The Toads are still in danger—"

"It won't do them any good if we can't even reach the summit in one piece."

Paused, Toadette stared quietly at me before slowly nodding. She helped Peach down to the ground to sit, as Daisy plopped down beside them.

With a sigh, I walked aside, stepping closer to the next bridge that waited for us, one with chains and metal planks. The wind howled and it swayed more than the wooden bridge back from the first mountain.

"How are you holding up?"

My shoulders dropped as I turned back to Pauline, who folded her arms together as she shivered. Raising my cap, I brushed at my soggy hair before pulling it back down, and exhaled again.

"Like everyone else, I'll live. How about you?"

"Same, just probably traumatized for the next time I want to go for a swim." She shrugged. "I'll get over it."

"Ha, yeah." I smirked. "You're not alone on that one."

"That's somewhat more comforting than it should be," joked Pauline, and we laughed a little. Sighing, she picked a few strands of her hair and rubbed it between her fingers. "About before, when I sent out Mini Mario, you were a lot more active."

"Well, I guess my brother motivates me more than I realize," I attempted to down play.

"Luigi, tell me the truth." She frowned. "You're worried about him. Don't tell me that you aren't, because that's how I feel, which means you're a wreck."

"You're…not wrong."

"Then talk." She unfolded her arms and placed her waterlogged glove on my damp shoulder. "Please, Luigi. You're not alone either."

"…Talking doesn't really do much, if we both already know that I'm anxious over my brother's wellbeing." I shook my head. "It's just…well, I don't know how he is. Bowser took him back, and the last thing that he yelled was that I could get him back later." My head and eyes lowered. "That was back when we were in Seaside, which seems so long ago now. I just…I don't know what to think."

"If you want my advice, just try remembering how resilient Mario is," reminded Pauline. "He can take all kinds of hell that comes his way and throw it right back. Mario's no pushover, and I'm sure he's holding up fine, even as a prison of war." She paused, and then smacked her head. "Sorry, Luigi, that was careless."

"Not at all, Pauline. You care a lot." I smile. "You've been through a lot more in one day than you've probably ever been through, and instead of mentally recovering, you're helping me cope."

"To be fair, talking with you helps me get my mind off of how ridiculously unreal this whole trip has been so far," admitted Pauline, and we laughed again. As we stopped, she patted my shoulder again. "Also, you might not like it, but…if Mario is in love with Bowser, and it's mutual, then maybe Bowser will go soft on him."

"They left with Mario tied up in his Clown Car."

"His what?"

"A person ship that can haul Bowser and a victim around."

"Oh."

We stood quietly as the wind wailed again, and listened to the chains of the bridge rattle. Pauline's shoulders dropped as I glanced back up at her, and I sighed.

"Before that happened, before Seaside, I did…Mario and I talked." She raised an eyebrow, but I let my eyes drift back to the ground, focusing on my damp body and drenched pants. "Well, more like I grilled him on answers about his…relationship."

"Cornered him?"

"To put it lightly."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, all aboard the guilt train." Tears formed in my eyes, but I brushed them away. "Anyway, by the way that Mario spoke about it, Bowser had been trying to care for him, and that their feelings were mutual." I dug my hands into my hair, pushing up on my cap. "And Bowser's son was fiercely defensive over their relationship as well, so—"

"Bowser has a son? Oh gosh, he does, doesn't he? I forgot! Pretty sure that there were toy models of him lying around my office."

"Uh, yeah, Bowser Junior." I lifted my head up, raising my eyebrow as she raised her own. "That's…kind of not the important part?"

"How is it not? That means he has a soft spot, besides Mario, and that's cute!"

"…Um…"

"Wow, wait, that's actually totally not helping." Pauline chuckled a bit before shaking her head. "Sorry. Continue."

"Right, so, it is mutual, and that would mean that Bowser probably wouldn't want to hurt Mario." I roughly tugged my cap down. "He should be fine there, and what you brought up is true, but I just…I'm still scared. Who knows what he's been through since I last saw him?"

"Probably a lot by this point," determined Pauline. "That doesn't mean anything, though, and we both know that Mario doesn't give up easily, if ever." Her hands rested on my shoulders, but I refused to look up. "I can't tell you with certainty, but I have faith that Mario will be fine. We just have to get Bowser to…well…" She pulled her hands away and hesitated. "Actually…I'm not sure how this works going forward, especially if they both love each other."

"Yep. I don't think anyone does."

"So, you've got that to deal with, on top of a certain little dinosaur that has feelings for you too." I lowered my eyes as I lifted my head to meet her smirk. "Sorry, I know that I shouldn't bring that up—"

"It's just a lot to juggle on top of that." I gazed past her, back at Yoshi as he chatted with Birdo. He glanced over at me and smiled a bit, while Birdo turned back and narrowed her eyes. "Plus, I have his very good friend and possible alternate love interest angry with me."

"Huh?" Pauline turned around to look at the pair. "Oh, Birdo? She's into him?"

"Yes, and I know that he likes her, but I don't think…well, I'm not sure, actually." I furrowed my brow. "M-maybe he likes her back, but wanted to choose me first?"

"…That's not really how it works, Luigi." Pauline pivoted back to me with a grin. "He's more into you than he is her. And, in spite of everything, he couldn't hold back telling you about it."

"Part of me wishes he had."

"And the other part?"

"…I…don't know."

"Well, if you take too long, I wouldn't blame Yoshi for moving on with Birdo." Pauline giggled. "They actually do seem cute together, to be honest."

"Kind of." I fixated on the pair, as they resumed their chattering. "Still, I don't think that she's angry at me just for being his preferred love interest."

"Nope, she's probably furious that Yoshi chose you, and you shot him down."

"But I didn't! I mean, I…I told him that I wasn't sure yet, but I—"

"Are you two dating now?"

"No?"

"Then that's enough rejection for her to get enraged over." Pauline folded her arms behind her head. "I bet it's something that she would have killed for."

"Please don't put that thought into my mind."

"Ha, sorry!" Pauline laughed a bit, but shook it off. "Honestly, I'm sure she'll get over her jealousy. Birdo's just…you know, protective."

"Is that what you'd call it?"

"Well, you had to correct me on her pronouns, so…how should she act with her quieter friend?"

"True."

"You've got a lot to juggle, Luigi, that much is certain." Pauline rested her hands on my shoulders. "But, you're not alone, in both regards. After all, everyone here has something that they're struggling to deal with, on top of rescuing this kingdom from the bad guys."

"…Actually…that's another thing that's…I'm not sure."

"You're sure unsure!"

"Tell me about it." I chuckled and shook my head. "See, Mario also brought up our actions against the enemies that Bowser sends after us, and I…well, it's starting to make me question what we're doing."

"What, you think Peach is the bad one?"

"N-no. Well, right now, she's…" I lowered my head again, fixating on the craggy earth. "It's just, I don't know if Bowser's henchmen are as much of monsters as we think they are. They look vicious, and they attack relentlessly, as you've witnessed first hand, but…there are two sides to every war, right?"

Her eyes widened a bit as I looked back up, and she nodded. Folding her arms, she thought for a moment and tapped a finger against her cheek.

"We need to get moving," announced Peach. "We've taken far too much time as it is."

Everyone else stood up and walked over to the bridge, and Peach grasped to the chains on both sides. Carefully, she inched her way onto the bridge, and then proceeded across. Toadette followed, grabbing at the lower chains and pulling herself along. Yoshi walked to follow, glancing at me again before making his way across, with Birdo quickly in tow.

Pauline smiled to me as she started to make her way across, and I moved to follow her, but stopped. Turning, I looked at Daisy, who held her arms together.

"Are you—?"

"Fine." She blinked. "I mean, yeah, I'm going."

Shifting my attention from the bridge and back to her, I walked over to Daisy and held out my hands. She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head at me as I met her eyes.

"Give me your hands."

"Why?"

"Daisy…just let me see."

Puffing out her cheek, she grumbled before lifting her arms. Her gloves and sleeves were torn up, and there were scratches on her skin. No blood, but no good either.

"Has that ever happened before?" I struggled to keep my tone calm.

"Not really, or…not recently." She looked away, across the bridge. "Not since I practiced when I was younger, anyway. But…it hurts."

"It should."

"Thanks."

"Come on, I don't mean it like—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She sighed. "I thought that Pauline was playing lookout for you, and that you'd be more caught up in her than anyone else."

"Really Daisy?" I raised an eyebrow at her. "I've always got time for you."

"And that I should know too." She nodded. "Hey, it's sore, but I can do this."

"Can you?"

"Honestly, I have to." She turned back to me and frowned. "Otherwise, I'm just an open target. One of Bowser's troops could kidnap me, or…worse, even." Her shoulders dropped. "I may be a princess, but I don't think Bowser cares as much for my value."

"Doesn't matter if he does, because we care," I affirmed. "You and I can cross this bridge together, ok?"

"How?"

"Holding on the chains might take too much, but you can hold onto me," I offered. "Doing that will let you keep your hands closer together, and it won't hurt nearly as much as gripping cold metal."

"Are you sure you can handle that?"

"If I can handle more than half of what my brother goes through, then yes, I think I can help you cross a bridge."

"Ok, tough guy," she teased. "Just know that I'm counting on you!"

We laughed a bit and walked back to the bridge. Pauline was at least half way across by this point and I grasped the frozen chains. Shivering a bit, I glanced back at Daisy, who still hesitated.

"You have nothing to fear," I assured her.

"How'd you…?" She sighed. "That stupid illusion room was right. I am a coward."

"You? Spunky, tomboy Princess Daisy?" I smirked. "I thought I saw you punching the stuffing out of some enemies back there. Must have been some other, tougher princess."

"Hey, I may be winded, but I could take you on right now!"

"Ah, there she is."

Catching her grin as she flicked my shoulder, I waited for her to wrap her arms beneath my overall straps and chest. Slowly, I shuffled forward, and Daisy inched along behind me.

Wind bellowed and rushed by, shaking the bridge. Tightening my hold, my hands shuddered from the chills, almost numb from the grip already.

As the wind eased up, we walked forward again. Still, I winced from the sharp pain in my hands.

"Daisy? I need a minute to let go."

"What?!"

"Trust me, I'll keep us balanced." I bit my lip as my hands continued to numb. "It's better if I do that now than wait to get blown off."

"Uh…ok, go for it."

Releasing my grip, I let my hands hover over the chains. The air was still cold, but it was better than holding what might as well have been ice.

Clenching my hands into fists, I rubbed my fingers around as I slowly carried forward, with Daisy in tow. We made it over a quarter across before the wind rushed through again.

Quickly, I grabbed onto the chains and held tightly. The bridge swayed with the chilly wind, and my teeth chattered. Daisy clamped harder onto me, and we slowed our movement.

Slowly, the wind died down again, and I carefully released my grip.

"We're going to need to speed this up," I advised. "Are you ready?"

"Follow the leader, got it. You worry about you, I'll keep up."

Lowering my head a bit, I pulled us forward, a little quicker now. Daisy stumbled a bit behind me at first, but she quickly fell in sync with my quicker pace.

Focusing my attention across, I watched as Pauline walked upward and onto the mountain. She turned back and her hands went up to her mouth, as she and the others watched Daisy and I.

More than halfway there, the wind surged again, and I grabbed back onto the bridge. It still pained me, but less than before, and I held on while continuing to walk. Though slower, we still managed our way ahead, bit by bit.

Once the wind calmed again, Daisy and I hurried the rest of the way across, and her hands slipped away from me. The wind kicked up again, just before we finished getting across. My hands slipped from the chains and I wobbled.

An arm wrapped around me, and I glanced back at Daisy, who grasped the bridge with her free hand. The wind blew as I steadied myself and grabbed back onto the chains as well.

Finally, as we stopped getting tossed around, Daisy and I finished crossing. Pauline let out a breath that she had held and pulled us further onto the land.

"Guys, I'm so sorry, I didn't even think to—"

"No worries," assured Daisy, as she patted my back. "Luigi had it handled."

"We both did," I corrected, and Daisy smiled to me.

Turning, Yoshi and Birdo lowered their shoulders as well, while Toadette brushed her head. Peach studied Daisy, her eyes wider than usual, but then calmed her face and spun away, marching ahead again.

Climbing up the trail, we slowed as we reached a chasm. Peach stopped and stared down, shaking her head, and then looked back at the land before her.

"It shouldn't be too hard of a jump for most of us," I observed, and she turned to look at me, brow furrowed. "You can still whip up a little magic to float, right? You have that, I can jump, Daisy should be able to manage, Yoshi and Birdo can flutter, so really, all we need to worry about is Toadette and Pauline. So, for them, we can—"

Walking away from me, Peach went over to Toadette, and took back her Royal Scepter. Returning to my side, she pointed ahead at the land across from us.

Yanking back her wand, a long chain of earth surged forward, and collided onto our side. I fumbled a bit and tried to steady myself with my arms, as Peach tugged me backward. I staggered back a bit, and steadied myself, while catching her eye me.

"Um…thank you?"

"…You're welcome." She stepped forward onto her newly formed bridge of stone, but stopped. "Thank you, for…helping Daisy."

"Of course. I always help my friends."

"…Hm."

With that, Peach continued across, and I hesitated before following her. I turned back for a moment, watching as Daisy last crossed with Pauline, and nodded as I turned forward again.

Continuing on and around another bend, we approached a fork in the road, and slowed to a stop as Peach and I shifted our attention back and forth between the two paths. Toadette hurried forward and joined us, but quickly spun to Peach.

"Princess, which way?"

"…I'm…"

"Peach?"

She scrunched up her face. "…I don't recall."

"No, Peach, please!" Toadette clasped her hands together, begging. "Princess Peach, you have to remember which way! If you don't…I failed them." She sank to the ground, and tears slipped from her eyes. "Oh my Stars, this is all my fault…I should have never left the Toads, how could I—?"

"Toadette, stop." Peach crouched down and placed her hands on Toadette's shoulders. "You are not responsible for what happened to them. It was my decision. I sent them there, and it…it's my fault. I failed those Toads. I…I'm the one who failed."

"…Peach—"

"Not now, Luigi." She stroked Toadette's cheeks, brushing away the tears as Toadette sniffled. "We'll figure this out, Toadette, I promise. I will get your friends back safely, and I will fix my mistake."

"It w-wasn't yours, P-Peach," sobbed Toadette. "W-we shouldn't have—have been caught."

"Hush…I should have properly planned it out." Peach shushed Toadette and rocked her softly in a light hug. "I promise you, I won't let you down. I won't let them down either."

Still, Toadette sobbed, struggling to control herself. Lifting my head, I watched as Pauline dug into her pocket, and pulled out a compass. She pointed it down the path on the left, and shook her head. Peach and Toadette looked up as she pointed to the right path and smiled with a nod.

"This way is north," she instructed. "I'm guessing that's the right direction for where we're going, isn't it?"

"…Y…yes it is."

"Cool! Compasses are handy even here, then!" Pauline patted Peach's shoulder, as Peach's mouth dropped open a bit. "Come on, then! Let's keep going!"

Cheerfully, Pauline led us onward, strolling ahead. Peach turned her attention to me, as I shrugged, and followed after Pauline.

While we continued our stride forward, however, I heard something flapping. Turning to the outside edge of the mountain, I watched as the blur of a Paratroopa grabbed Pauline's bag. She shrieked as the Paratroopa carried her away from us.

"Help! Help!"

Dashing forward, I chased after the two, and was led to another opening. Rexes stood by, while Hammer Bros. and Koopa Troopas emerged from behind boulders.

Skidding to a halt, I glared ahead at them as the Paratroopa descended to a higher plateau, and perched down, dropping Pauline below it.

Yoshi jumped forward, lobbing an egg at a Rex as it charged at us. Slamming it, the Rex sank backwards.

Peach twirled her Royal Scepter around, spinning it and whipping it away from her. A gust of wind billowed up around several Koopas and Rexes, scattering them around and knocking them into the surrounding mountainsides.

Birdo spat out egg after egg, knocking down one Hammer Bro. and deflecting another's hammer.

Daisy closed her hands together, and the Regal Rings softly lit up. Petals flurried up between them and fluttered down from the air.

Jabbing her hands forward, Daisy's petals soared forward and sliced at two Hammer Bros. and a Rex, forcing the three back.

A barrage of hammers flew out from behind Pauline, however, and everyone was forced to redirect their attacks against the flood of tools.

Toadette and I nodded to one another as we charged ahead, evading the last few hammers as best as we could. Jumping up, I slammed down on a Rex, crushing it down and flattening its body.

While it scurried around and rushed away from me, a Koopa Shell flew by and knocked the Rex back to its original size, just before it slammed into a wall. The Koopa popped from the shell, groaned, and collapsed alongside the Rex.

Waving to a cheering Toadette, we paused and backpedaled as Hammer Bros. slid down from slopes around Pauline, tossing hammers at us once again.

One Koopa Troopa jumped up and into its shell, sliding forward and knocking into Yoshi as he threw an egg. Daisy yelped as it crashed into her back, and she fell over from the force.

Several petals escaped from her hands and flew out, slicing at Peach, who fumbled with her rod. A fireball whizzed out at Birdo, who ducked down, barely avoiding her bow being singed.

"Seriously, Peach?!"

"Oh please, that was an accident."

"Yoshi, what was that?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"Luigi, we have to do something," urged Toadette, as I jolted and turned back to her.

"Uh…w-well…we don't really…you and I can't—"

"If we can't, then we're doomed!"

"That's not helping." I groaned. "What would Mario do…?"

Lowering my head, I scratched at it as the arguing continued. More hammers flew from above, and Peach quickly forced a wall of earth up to block the barrage. Chunks of stone broke off and pelted us as we crouched down.

"Well, Peach?" Birdo folded her arms. "You're the leader. Do something."

"I just did!"

"Something that we actually save us!"

"Yoshi, just launch another few eggs out," instructed Daisy.

"Not while I can't see," argued Yoshi. "I could hit Pauline!"

"What do we do?!" Toadette threw her arms up. "Are we seriously being bested by these guys? We're better than this!"

"Luigi, do you have any ideas?" I turned to Yoshi, who winced as bits of rocks rained down over him.

"Um…"

A hammer burst through barrier and I gasped, pushing back toward the others. Another crashed by the other end, and Birdo scooted inward as well.

"Guys, come on!" I perked up at Pauline's yelling. "I know you're going through a rough patch right now, but please!" She muffled a few other words, and I heard the Paratroopa yelp. "I really, really don't want to get kidnapped again, especially not like this! Please work together, please save me!"

"We're trying to work together," snapped Birdo. "What does she think we're doing, trying to get ourselves killed?!"

"She's panicking, and not thinking clearly," reasoned Peach. "I've been there too many times before."

"So has Pauline, and she's right," I countered. "We're not really working together."

"How are we not?"

"Just because we fight for the same side doesn't mean we're going through this as a collective unit." I tightened my fists, flinching as another hammer broke through the wall. "Yoshi, I'm sorry about before. Birdo, I didn't mean to upset him, and I really didn't mean to upset you either. Peach, I know you can't forgive me still, but I'm really here, right now, working with you."

Each of the three stared at me, widened eyes and raised eyebrows. Another hammer broke through and they squeezed inward.

"Can we save the apologies for later, please?" Daisy winced as pebbles poured over her. "Let's just beat these guys, rescue Pauline, and end this fight already!"

"Wait, maybe…everyone. Hold still a moment." Peach raised her Royal Scepter up.

"What are you doing?"

"Maybe I've…been fighting too much…" Peach cupped her hand around the wand. "It's been too long, and I've forgotten…but not anymore."

Whispering an incantation as the barrier continued to collapse around us, a soft pink light drifted from Peach's scepter and sparkled around us.

Breathing in a fresh rush of air, I flexed my hands and gazed down at them. My muscles eased as my shoulders lowered, and I brushed beneath my cap before tightening it back on.

Glancing at Daisy's arms, I watched as her scratches faded under the pink light. She exhaled and stretched, pushing herself up. The rest of us quickly joined her.

"There." Peach smiled and nodded. "Everyone feeling better?" We exchanged nods with one another. "Great. Because I want to hit something again."

Thrusting her rod forward, the remaining stones from the wall flew out and slammed into the Koopas and Rexes on the ground, crashing into walls with them.

Spiraling around, Daisy closed her hands together and rapidly rolled them together. Under the glow of the Regal Rings, she raised her arms, and gazed behind Pauline. Pillars of flower petals scattered out, as Hammer Bros. leapt from behind their hiding positions.

Birdo spat eggs out at each one that popped up, knocking them down from the ledges and to the ground. Each one that dropped, Toadette and I rushed forward, stomping on them to keep them down.

The Paratroopa jumped up and reached for Pauline, but gasped as a long red tongue wrapped around him. Horrified, he turned back to Yoshi, who pulled him back. Flapping his wings, the Paratroopa resisted as Yoshi retracted his tongue.

Cupping my hands, I launched Toadette up, and she twirled around. Stepping down on its shell, Toadette kicked off of the Paratroopa, knocking its wings off as Yoshi released his grip.

The felled Troopa hit the ground and moaned. He looked up as Peach jabbed her Royal Scepter at him.

"Do yourself a favor or two," she instructed. "One: never, ever kidnap my friends. Two, crawl into your shell and don't come out for a while. And three: leave this place once we walk away, as this is your last chance for mercy. Is that clear?"

"N…not happening," the Troopa managed.

"You leave me no choice."

Pulling back her rod, Peach nodded. As the Troopa tried to push himself back up, Toadette stomped down, forcing him back to the ground. He gasped out before collapsing completely.

Turning away, I jumped up by Pauline, and held out my hand. Smiling, she grabbed onto it, and I lifted her back up.

"So, uh…no mercy for the wicked?"

"Nope, not when they've got one of us," called Birdo. Everyone turned to her. "…What? Oh come on, don't look at me like that. I'm not famous yet."

"Maybe not," determined Toadette, "but keep up that kind of talk, and you'll get there in no time!"

"Please, stop, this is getting too sappy," complained Birdo, blushing a bit as she turned away. "…But do go on, praise me more."

"Well, nothing like a rousing teamwork speech, huh?" Pauline grinned and folded her arms. "See? I can prove my worth!"

"Actually, it was mostly Peach's little healing spell that kicked us back to life," admitted Daisy.

"…Oh."

"But you helped," I chimed in. "You helped motivate us to work together!"

"That was kind of you, really," mumbled Yoshi, scratching his nose.

"Um…"

"Well, I created the hostage situation for you guys to fight together, so how about that?"

"Uh…sure, if you really want credit for that."

"Why not? I can play damsel well enough," joked Pauline. Quickly frowning, she added, "If it happens again, though, I'm hurting whoever takes me away, because I've honestly had it for a while now."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," agreed Peach.

"Ok, ok, we did great, now let's keep going," urged Toadette. "We still have Toads to rescue!"

"Right, let's go."

Together, we scrambled up another slope of scree, and surged up to the summit of the last mountain. Well, we climbed to the base of it, as we gazed into the grotto that led to the Mountains Fortress, and up to the pike of the peak.

"Are we ready? Let's…"

My thoughts left me as I gazed out to the sky, some distance away from the Mountains. Everyone else stepped beside me and stared out at the distant shape of a wooden ship, sailing across the sky and in our direction. Part of me expected the cannons to fire already, if they were in range.

Narrowing my eyes, I glowered at the approaching Airship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gasp! Cliffhangers! Oh, how I missed them so! …What, didn't you miss them too?
> 
> Anyway, hooray, tension between the Koopalings and Junior, alongside tension between the heroes! Look at all of these lovely divisions and squabbles, how precious!
> 
> Poor little Junior; he tried his best to stop the Koopalings from going against his father's wishes. But, they're very stubborn.
> 
> Meanwhile, poor Luigi struggled to get on top of everything that's been hitting him lately, as he failed to keep it from really getting to him. Though not terribly so, it did shake him up a bit in this chapter. Luckily, he managed to find his own perseverance to pull through. Oh, and he had a little help from newcomer Pauline!
> 
> As she is a normal human, Pauline isn't quite suited for combat. Still, she doesn't let this stop her, dressing up for the region, insisting on the princesses to do the same, and even holding her own in demanding trials! If anything, she's just a little more capable than what she should be, so…that's actually a tall order for her to face! And yet she did, somehow! Thanks to a little help from a walking stick and a toy, yeah! …Pauline's great, ok? And I had to reference the Mario vs Donkey Kong series, because that helped bring Pauline back to life after being gone for so long.
> 
> Dragging the heroes through a long climb was enjoyable too, and I did attempt to make it different from Star Hill, since, well, we were just there with Bowser and Mario last time. So, the Mountains are a pretty hazardous region, based on the climate and terrain. To the ill prepared, it's easy to stumble and slideback down, or otherwise drop and fall to a terrible, unfortunate demise. Oh, and nasty local moles can be jerks around there too, especially if they work for the Koopa Troop. The fortunate thing is that Peach had Toads scout ahead around the area, creating bridges to make the travel across the top easier, which…well, Mario originally helped to clear away the bad guys that infested it. And while it makes some parts easier, it doesn't help too much to have a metal bridge right after a cavern of a freezing cold water pool. Especially if you're attacked by angry fish, dunked into the water, and forced to shiver as you traverse the heavy winds of a high mountainous region. Hooray!
> 
> Birdo might have been a bit prickly this chapter. She's just trying to be famous, poor dinosaur. Still, she did help out, and managed to hold her own against even Peach, who did not make things easy. Both of them learned a little more in cooperating with others though, especially Peach, who is drifting between a righteous leader and a solo act.
> 
> Besides Luigi, Daisy exposed a little bit of her softer side as well, and that was nice to get at. Oh, and it was nice to give her a section with Luigi as well, because they are a nice pair, whether it's romantic or platonic. Poor Yoshi was really quiet for a good part of it, still wallowing in despair from Luigi's reaction his confession. Can't blame him, given all that's going on, but Yoshi's still moody. Meanwhile, Toadette proves that Luigi isn't the only one on the guilt train, still forlorn over what happened with the Toads rescue attempt. This, however, revealed Peach's own guilt, and helped her show that compassion that she's been missing! Peach does care about her Toads, after all.
> 
> Plenty of fun stuff that I can go on about, but I should probably cut it off here. After all, we've got much more to explore in the next two chapters, which will continue this little arc on the Mountains!
> 
> In the time that I haven't posted, and if you haven't seen me flaunting it around enough, this fanfic has now been added to the Recommended Fanfics on the TVTropes website! My very first fanfic rec, hooray! A very, very big thank you again to N8han11, who recommended it on there!
> 
> Even though it's doing really well at standing out, I do hope you guys will still continue to provide me with feedback! That's the best way to help this story stay strong, as it helps me improve my writing abilities, which are getting a little sloppy lately. It doesn't help that I work a lot, but that's no excuse. So, please, continue to send in reviews or messages! Comments, criticisms, and questions are all welcome! And you're likely to bring up stuff that I might forget about addressing, so please help me with that too!
> 
> Wow, that went on for too long. My apologies. Anyway, the next chapter will continue this current arc, so look forward to that! But, have no fear, as we will return to Bowsario dramatic loveliness upon this arc's conclusion. That's all for now, though. Thank you all so much again for your continued patience, and for still reading this as well!


	38. A Zenith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peach and friends enter the Mountains Fortress to evade fire from the Airship. But what perils await them within?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you for your continued patience!
> 
> This one builds off of the last chapter, which is shorter than the last one, but I kept adding details.
> 
> Anyway, we're not here to hear me babble. Set some time aside, and enjoy the next chapter!

The Airship floated across the early evening sky, closer toward the Mountains. It slowed as it approached the peak, with Princess Peach and her allies in sight. Wendy, Ludwig, and Larry walked across the deck, and gazed at the seven below.

"There's no going back if we do this," reminded Wendy. "You do know that, right?"

"We're simply staying the course we've always been on," affirmed Ludwig.

"Really? You needed the boat joke?"

"Absolutely."

"Can we just get this over with?!" Larry slammed his hands against the ship's railing. "I want to see them squirm. We might even get lucky and deal with less of them."

"Doubtful," determined Ludwig. "The fortress is right there, and they'll definitely duck in there for brief cover. However, the troops within it should wear them down."

"So we're counting on them to get up here?"

"Essentially."

"We could just blow up the fortress below, you know," advised Wendy. "That they might not survive."

"That's what we'll try, but I'm not placing my faith in that either." Ludwig shook his head, brushing his hair back. "Likely, they'll manage to make it out and jump aboard the ship."

"Why didn't we keep our distance then?"

"Targeting from afar would have likely resulted in more missed shots.

"So, what, we're going to waste the ammo to force them into the fortress, waste the troops within to wear them down, and then just sit idle as they charge up the anchors of the Airship to attack us?" Larry shook his head. "Why are we doing that?"

"Likely because it's our best chance, especially after the delay we had from starting this assault," reminded Ludwig. "By keeping a distance, we would be able to attack them without risking them boarding the ship. But by doing that, who knows what Peach will do to attack us?" He lifted his wand and gazed at it. "We may have our own assortment of magic tricks, but Peach's scepter has power behind it that's unlike anything we've ever dealt with."

"You think that by forcing them on here, we'll have better odds at dealing with her close quarters, rather than her felling the ship from a distance," realized Wendy.

"Precisely."

"That sounds good in theory, but them being on the ship is just as much of a threat as them from a distance."

"What's stopping Peach from launching her entire party on board now?"

"Your, uh, majesties?" The three Koopalings spun around and glared at a Koopa Troopa, who cowered back under their gaze. "Um…we n-need to do something."

"We're not Bowser's children," snapped Larry. "We're your superiors, not royalty. Get it right."

"Y-yes sir."

"Guess we're on top of them," noted Wendy. "Time's up, then."

"Give the troops an order to fire all cannons," ordered Ludwig.

"Right away sir!" The Koopa rushed off around the Airship, shouting out, "Fire all!"

"Are we ready for them this time?" Wendy turned her golden bracelet around her wrist, watching her enemies on the Mountains below. "Because I'm increasingly less certain as this goes on. And the three of us are the ones that lost our battles."

"All seven of us have lost plenty of times," corrected Larry, and brought his wand out as well. "This time will be different. This time, we fight together, and we go all out!"

Both turned to Ludwig, who remained silent, as he tightened his grip on his wand. The wind howled past them, and they waited only half a minute before the first cannon fire rang out.

* * *

**[Peach]**

As the first shot rang out, I jabbed my scepter forward at the Airship. If I had enough time, I could take the whole thing down.

But even as I spotted the first Bullet Bill rocketing forward, another shot burst from the Airship, and then a third rang out.

"W-what are those?" Pauline gasped as she followed my gaze. "Are those bullets?!"

"Bullet Bills," confirmed Toadette. "They'll soar down at us before crashing into us, and possibly exploding."

"No," I corrected. "They'll explode before they ever present a threat."

I opened my hand as my Royal Scepter flashed. A fireball rested over my palm, fingers cupped, and I aimed for the Bullet Bill that came rushing down at us. My eyes lowered as I pictured the glare from the speeding, explosive bullet, the white fists tightened for its violent assault.

The embers sparked and I jabbed my rod forward, lowering my fingers. Ripping forward, the fire soared away from me and into the sky. The first Bullet Bill erupted in a fiery pink and red blast.

As the flames fade, I spotted the next pair coming at us. Repeating the process, I launched another fireball out. And then another, as three more Bill Blasters fired the next Bullet Bills.

Still, I kept going; the heat repeatedly washed over my hand before disappearing, and embers sailed down from the sky. They rocketed out more, though, as three bullets became five, and five doubled to ten.

"Peach, just end it already!"

Daisy ran up to my side, and I barely spotted her in my peripheral vision, concentrating on the raining Bullet Bills.

Inhaling and exhaling slowly, I placed my hand against the heart-shaped head, as the blue and pink jewels shined between my gloved fingers. Gradually pulling my hand from it, small orbs of lights decorated the space between, which then lined horizontally and floated in front of me.

Gritting my teeth, I pulled the scepter further from my hand, and the space occupied by shimmering orbs matched that between my extended fingers.

As they stilled, I relaxed my hands and brought them down, exhaling. I brushed my hair back from my eyes and glared at the numerous bullets descending. Twirling the wand, I jabbed it forward and sent the orbs racing into the sky. Each one collided with a Bullet Bill that flew at us, and blasted it away. Several even managed to crash into the Airship itself.

…But more cannon fire rang out, and more Bullet Bills appeared.

Dragging my hands apart again, I shuddered and watched my arms tremble. Shaking my head, I dropped them as my scepter's light faded.

"What's wrong?" Luigi walked behind me, probably with some fear in his eyes. "Peach?"

With a grunt, I pulled my wand back and thrust it into the sky. A pink bolt danced around the clouds above and struck down at the Airship.

My mouth dropped open as a rainbow sphere encased the Airship and knocked the bolt away, back into the sky and guarded the floating boat.

Quickly, I spun my rod around and spiraled my body in time with it. Slowing, I twirled it and jutted it forward. A deep pink bubble rose up from the ground around us and formed around the area nearby.

We watched as the Bullet Bills collided with my shield, blasting apart upon impact. I lowered my arms, but focused on the shield, narrowing my eyes between the dulled fuchsia flashes of explosions.

"Well, at least we're not getting blown to smithereens," quipped Birdo.

"How did they get that shield?" Yoshi plodded somewhere behind me. "Who's up there?"

"They've got Magikoopa and the Koopalings have wands," reminded Daisy. "I'm sure they have magical tricks up their sleeves. Not to mention supernatural, if you count Boos and other zombie grunts. Take your pick."

"Princess Peach?" Toadette's hand tugged on my leg a bit. "Is everything ok?"

"Hold on…"

Another bullet crashed. Another explosions. My eyes narrowed again.

As they opened, though, I caught sight of it this time: my bubble was slowly reforming itself. There was an opening from the explosions.

"Uh, Peach?" Pauline stepped forward this time. "Are you ok?"

She walked closer, probably noticed my leg shift back a bit. I stumbled back a little more, eyes twitched, as I watched another Bullet Bill crash into my shield. And another two followed it. The holes they left were bigger than the last.

I blinked and shuddered, and the shield began to fizzle and fade.

"What the—?"

"Peach, what's going on?"

"I…I can't hold it."

My shield flickered again as another barrage of Bullet Bills shattered it open further. I gaped at the falling bits of light, floating like scattered petals before my eyes.

"Peach?"

"Run!"

Twisting around, I barely caught sight of everyone else's wide eyes and gaping mouths, as I whipped my wand about. Spinning back, I raised columns and walls of stone. The first few were barely up before Bullet Bills knocked them to bits.

" _Now!_ "

Pivoting back again, I sped on the heels of my friends, as they raced into the grotto. Whizzing Bullet Bills rushed behind us, and I listened to them crash against stonewalls I had risen.

We ran down the steps and past the small entryway for the temple fortress hybrid. Slowing, I took in the Toad statues that waited in the shrine at the entrance. Part of me wanted to use a protective charm, but hammering heart told me better than that.

Another explosion forced me forward, after my friends and into the fortress.

Yoshi and Birdo slammed the gates shut behind me, and I winced at the thundering blasts from outside. The whole structure rumbled, and I glanced up to watch as dust and pebbles rained from above us.

"Wait, so…this is some kind of fortress?" Pauline stepped forward a bit, and gazed around at the cavern. "It's like a cave, but those statues outside, and these decorations inside," she paused to point at the idols, pottery, and wind chimes. "That's not…I don't know, warlike? Or, defensive, I guess?"

"It was designed originally for the monks to use," Toadette explained. "There are Toads that used to use this a place of worship to the Stars above, and how they created the world around us." She scratched behind her head, and shuddered from the next impact against the mountain's temple. "They dwindled over the years, however, and mostly cleared out. Before Peach, this place's artifacts were meant to remain as a testament to its history. There are weapon supply rooms installed in different side rooms now, which were added without disrupting the original structure."

"And we're about to lose all of that," I murmured, as more bits of the structure crumbled.

"Hold on, I still don't understand," piped up Pauline again. "Can't you just keep us protected under that huge bubble thing?"

"It requires concentration and it's not limitless," I summarized. "As long as I can cast the projection of light, it would hold for a little while, but under repetitive attacks, it's easy to get distracted and worn out."

"So it's like an actual shield, almost," reiterated Luigi.

"Yes."

"Ok, great, history and magic lesson was fun," interrupted Daisy. "But we really have to move, now."

"She's right," I agreed. Walking forward inside, I pointed up toward the very top of the fortress, still another climb of its own. "We need to get to the spire's apex."

"And what are we going to do there?" Birdo folded her arms. "This whole place is crumbling. What, are you going to launch us onto the Airship from there?"

"That's exactly what I'm going to do."

"No, I was just kidding—"

"Peach, are you serious?"

"Can we think of a real plan?"

"They have a counter spell around the Airship, so I can't attack it from below," I explained. "We go back outside or wait here much longer, we're going to get blown to bits or crushed under the collapsing walls."

"So you want us to fall to our deaths after we bounce off of their shield?" Yoshi shook his head. "Peach, that's not a good idea at all."

"I'm so glad everyone paid attention to the part where I mentioned that my shield was overloaded by constant attacks," I snapped. "If we get to the highest point, and pick at their shield, it won't hold."

"Do we even have the time for that?"

"If we keep arguing about it because you all hate me right now, then no, we're pretty much dead." I walked on ahead. "If the rest of you have better ideas, get to them. I'm sure Yoshi and Birdo can flutter down the mountainside, right?"

"Ok, Peach, we get it," fired back Luigi. "No need to be rude about it."

"Oh, sorry; let me just pick up my usual cheery demeanor while my Toads lives are still at risk, and we have the chance of getting killed here and now ourselves."

"She's got a point," backed Daisy.

"Thank you, Daisy. Now come on; if Bowser's already taken control of this place, there will be guards ahead."

"Why would they put any guards in here?" Pauline questioned as we began to ascend up the cavern temple. "Wouldn't they leave this place empty to avoid casualties from attacking us?"

"They took over by sending troops here," I reminded her. "They wouldn't be able to hold it if they just pulled them out immediately."

"But…by attacking here now…"

"It's going to get bad, yes."

Further up and ahead, we slowed ourselves at the sound of a heavy crash. Ambling ahead, it slammed again and we barely managed to keep our footing.

"Would they have put those in here?"

"Put what?"

Walking ahead, forcing myself to a stop with another quake from the ground below and the ceiling above, I balanced myself once more. Into an open room, I gazed inside at the large spiked block lift itself back into the air, and then levitated in place. Several more waited around the room, some spaced out, while others were together.

"Thwomps."

"What?!"

Luigi darted ahead of me a bit, but skidded to a halt, not daring to venture too far out. A stone bridge connected our room to the center, and across to the next area we needed to go. It was designed to withstand tremors and not crumble easily, supported by stone columns that ran to the base of the peak. It wasn't a straightforward run, forcing travelers to climb up and down as they carried on across, but it made due.

Naturally, the Koopa Troop would use this to their advantage.

"Great, so, stop and go nonsense that will force us to waste time this early," determined Daisy. "Why couldn't this be something easy to handle, like Goombas or Koopa Troopas usually are?"

"Because they're valued enough as living segments of Bowser's army," I spat. "Goombas, Koopas, weak as they can be, still amount to something worth keeping alive, worth protecting, and have larger civilizations that extend even outside of the Mushroom Kingdom." I glared ahead as Thwomps opened their eyes to scowls of their own, slamming down at varying intervals. "Thwomps don't have that value in the Koopa Kingdom; they are used more often as traps than soldiers."

"Then…if they're left here while the attack from outside carries forward…" Toadette gasped. "Peach, they'll die! Blown to bits like the rest of the mountain!"

"Pretty sure Bowser must already know that," I murmured. Pivoting back to Luigi, I lowered my eyes. "Still think Mario hasn't gotten in over his head?"

"On that, I'll agree that he has, but I'm still not admitting that he's against you," snapped Luigi.

"Look, we can argue about this later," interrupted Pauline. "We've still got Bullet Bills bombing at us from outside, right? Let's put a move on it, then."

"That's a nice thought, sweetie," grumbled Birdo, "but you're forgetting that we have a very large number of problems ahead."

"No, we don't."

Lifting my Royal Scepter, I waved it around us, same as before. Again, a deep pink bubble surrounded us.

"Didn't you mention that you couldn't hold this?" Yoshi frowned and folded his arms. "If you can't concentrate, or if this shield takes too much damage—"

"Then we better move quickly, huh?"

Forcing everyone ahead with me, we stepped onto the stone walkway that led across the middle of the mountain fortress. The first Thwomp groaned and slammed down overhead, but we charged past it with ease.

"You all need to get out of here," called Toadette. "If you stay, you'll die!"

"It'll be an honor," rumbled the Thwomp we left behind. "We'd rather fall by your hands than betray King Bowser."

"They've got rocks for brains," proclaimed Daisy. "Possibly literally."

"That doesn't mean they deserve to lose their lives!"

"Why not?" I kept my eyes on my shield and the path ahead, but could imagine Toadette's horrified expression. "I didn't mean it like that. Bowser has left plenty of his troops to suffer at the end of a fortress or castle's destruction. Why would now be any different for him to do that?"

"Especially with these lugs," chimed in Daisy.

Again, a Thwomp ahead of us slammed down, narrowly missing the bubble around my friends. I exhaled and narrowed my eyes, as we hurried forward from the rising Thwomp ahead.

"They've gotten past me as well," rattled the rising Thwomp. "Don't let them go forward!"

"We'll squash them yet," roared a distant Thwomp.

Everyone climbed over a higher portion of the bridge, either jumping up like Luigi and Yoshi can, or lending a helping hand to the likes of Pauline and Toadette.

A Thwomp tried to crash down from above us, but I jabbed my Royal Scepter at it, with my bubble of light forcing it back into the air. It swayed from the weight, but remained intact.

"It's true, she's using magic," wailed the retreating Thwomp.

"Are they just learning that?" Yoshi scratched his arm. "How long have they been out of the loop?"

"Let's shout about Mario and Bowser being in a relationship and find out," suggested Birdo.

"How about let's not do that," countered Luigi. "We don't have the time to explain that, now do we?"

"We could make time—"

"Birdo, no."

"You're just lucky we're stuck in this bubble together."

We hopped down to the next part of the bridge, as three Thwomps alternated between slamming down overhead. My arms quaked from each tremor, and I barely managed to move forward.

"Princess Peach? Are you ok?"

Toadette's question froze me, as I felt my body shudder while the Thwomps were in the air.

"Peach, you can't hold that," realized Luigi. "We need to rethink this."

"Absolutely not," I argued. "Let's go."

Again, everyone charged forward, as the Thwomps shook and came crashing down. We dodged the first, but the second and third slammed against my shield. Gritting my teeth, I thrust the wand up, and forced the two away from us. The bubble quivered, and I spotted holes from the spikes.

"Peach?"

"We need to move faster," I ordered. "Now, right now!"

Everyone rushed forward, away from the three Thwomps that crashed down behind us once more.

Ahead, I winced just looking, there was a gap between the path forward, a small spot to fall into a slight dip, and a Thwomp right above the area between to jump across. Falling in meant getting flattened for sure, but even timing the jump wrong would yield the same results.

"No way, no," started Luigi. "Peach, come on, I've been on enough of these adventures and faced situations just like this. We can't all make this jump at once, and we can't rely on your shield to take the hits for us."

"One at a time, then," I decided. "If we each go across quickly, the shield can hold off attacks from above—"

"And then shatter!" Yoshi stomped his foot down. "Peach, we can all see those holes! If we take too long, waiting on all seven of us, that shield won't hold. And I'm not going to be the one that gets crushed over this!"

"Fine, you two wait here then." I stepped forward, closer to the edge, but then turned back. "If anyone else wants to wait with them, go ahead. Anyone that actually wants to get this taken care of, to survive, let's go."

Daisy and Toadette glanced at one another before following me. I spun around to face ahead, but the Thwomp slammed down before me.

It only needed to graze the bubble, but contact must have been made, and I watch it burst into a flurry of floating pieces.

"No…"

As the Thwomp lifted before me, my arm dropped, and I stared ahead. If it wasn't difficult before, this only made it harder.

"We're wasting time," I murmured. "If we take too long here—"

"Don't sweat it," insisted Daisy. "I've got this."

Inhaling and exhaling, she pulled her arm back, with an orange glow that emitted from her rings. Quickly, she slammed her fist into the ground before her, and I watched as dark, amber crystals erupted from the pit below, reaching up to the Thwomp.

Blinking, I shook my head and looked again. She had only used the corners of the space ahead. The path had new pillars to keep the Thwomp at bay, while still allowing us to jump ahead.

"That buys us maybe a few free jumps," determined Daisy. "Pauline, Toadette, you two go first."

"Hold on." Yoshi pointed at his saddled back. "Pauline, hop on. Toadette, let me pick you up."

They did so, and Yoshi rushed forward, easily making the jump across. The Thwomp slammed down, shattering Daisy's crystals already, but unable to crash back down.

"Luigi, this one is yours," instructed Daisy.

Nodding, Luigi vaulted across as the Thwomp tried to crash down again. He missed the plumber entirely, and crashed against the bridge's gap.

"Our turn, ladies!"

Daisy winked to Birdo and I, but only Birdo nodded to her. My arms shook more violently, and my grip against my rod tightened again.

"Ready?" Daisy watched the Thwomp lift from the ground below, and levitated back above. "Now!"

She cleared the gap as the Thwomp still rose, and Birdo followed her. I stumbled forward and jumped up, but I knew that I hadn't put enough strength into my legs.

Kicking my heels, I flicked my scepter and hovered slightly. The Thwomp shuddered above me as I floated in place a bit, trying to push myself through the air.

I wasn't going to make it.

A red, sticky tongue wrapped around my waist and dragged me through the air, just before the Thwomp crashed down.

Yoshi's slurped his tongue back into his mouth. Pauline's shoulders dropped in relief as Toadette rushed over to me.

"Princess! Thank goodness!" She clasped tightly to my legs. "That was too close."

"My timing must have been off," decided Daisy.

"No, it wasn't," argued Birdo. "She should have made that."

"Of course, but I should have done better—"

"Stop." I shook my head. "Daisy, she's right. You timed it perfectly."

"But…Peach—"

"It doesn't make a difference now." I strode past them, and spotted more debris crumble over us. "We wasted time over the bridge anyway. Let's find a way to scale this fortress faster."

"Just how are we supposed to—?"

"Warp Pipes." I folded my arms as I continued, trying to stop my shaking. "They were installed here for Toads to make the travel around here faster, in case of emergencies."

"So, we can just immediately warp to the top?"

"Not exactly," picked up Toadette. "The Warp Pipes were given limited transportation, in case of invasions from Bowser's forces. So…they go further up the spire, but not to the top." She groaned softly to herself. "And…for additional countermeasures, there are only a few. Like, two. Sets, that is."

"Great." Birdo grumbled incoherently for a second after that. "Let me guess: it's still a hike to get to each one."

"The first should be nearby." Toadette sighed. "But the one that travels further is still some distance ahead, yes."

"Superb."

Footsteps followed behind me as I continued, and my shoulders lowered a bit. However, I tightened back up as Luigi walked alongside me.

"I think you owe Yoshi some gratitude," he muttered to me.

"Oh, right, of course." His eyes widened while mine lowered. "Right after I get over you three lying to me."

"Seriously?" Luigi pinched his brow. "Peach, I thought we were putting this past us—"

"Cooperation is one thing, and I'm still doing that—"

"Barely."

"That's enough."

"Come off it," he snapped. "Out of everyone, Yoshi is the last to be angry at. Sure, he and Birdo didn't tell you, but because I asked them not to." He pressed his lips together for a moment. "Come to think of it, Birdo did tell you."

"Yet that's still not the point."

"So what is—?"

"Back off, Luigi."

Blinking, we both twisted our heads back. Pauline tugged Luigi's shoulder back, and he gazed at her, taken aback. Narrowing her eyes just slightly to him, he nodded and gradually trailed behind me again.

Glancing back at her, she smiled to me, and I slowly turned back to facing forward. Daisy and Toadette were back in tow with me.

"Princess Peach, please." I closed my eyes and exhaled before I turned my attention to Toadette. "Are you really ok? You're not doing well, with those tremors—"

"You have nothing to worry about, Toadette."

"Please don't brush me off like that." My shoulders dropped, and I was vulnerable to her. "Princess, your posture is usually brimming with confidence—"

"Not so much lately."

"Even still, it hasn't been this bad before."

"Probably because she's overexerting her powers," pointed out Daisy. I glared at her, to which she rolled her eyes. "Did you seriously expect me not to notice?"

"Wait, I don't understand."

"Don't worry—"

"Oh no, you don't get to have us pulled away like Luigi was." Daisy turned back and blinked at him. "Who…seems pretty comfortable chattering to Yoshi?"

Glancing back again, I spied Luigi as he placed his hand on Yoshi's shoulder. I couldn't make out what they were talking about, but Birdo quickly tugged Yoshi away from Luigi. Shrugging, I turned back around.

"They've been kind of close the whole journey, keeping secrets from me."

"Well, yeah, but they seem…" Daisy shook her head. "We're getting off topic here. You're still using your powers too much."

"Can you tell me when I shouldn't use them?" I drummed my fingers along the back of my elbow, which still shook a bit. "Because I've noticed that we've been getting along quickly because of them, and not that time is of the essence for my Toads or Mario, but it seems more efficient in securing my fortresses."

"Up until now."

"If we get aboard that ship in record time, we'll save this one."

"I meant your powers, again."

"What?"

"Seriously, Peach?" Daisy's frown fell still, and her eyebrows lowered. "You think folding your arms makes the tremors disappear? You think that clearing an obstacle means that we can't see your powers fall apart?"

"Fine, so I'm slipping up a bit," I relented. "What's your point?"

"We're worried, Princess Peach!" Toadette tugged down on my legs. "You've run yourself ragged enough over stopping Bowser, but now you're going all out for the Toads."

"Toadette, you want me to save them."

"Not at the cost of your own wellbeing!" She grasped at her braids and yanked on them. "Princess, I'm really, really scared for the other Toads, but they don't take precedence over you!"

"They should."

"What?!"

"My people mean everything to me," I admitted. "My wellbeing is a small sacrifice to keep this kingdom protected." Dropping my arms, I allowed them to shake once more. "A ruler is nothing if her people are not safe under her watch. She should be so willing to put her life on the line." Lowering my head, I gazed long and hard at my Royal Scepter. "Most of the time, I don't get the chance to do that. But, now, fighting Bowser's forces, that's allowing me to make up for my failures."

"Princess, you've never failed." Toadette patted my legs as we continued walking. "You've been stronger than anyone, keeping yourself together from Bowser's constant kidnappings. And even after, you go right back to ruling with such grace, and such kindness."

"It's what I owe the people of my kingdom."

"That's exactly what makes you strong, Princess Peach." Toadette grabbed my hand and held it as we continued. "That's why so many Toads look up to you. Because even in the face of adversity, you keep it altogether."

"Yet now I'm failing." I shook my head. "I need to get those Toads back."

"You're missing her point, Peach—"

"Honestly, I really appreciate the two of you trying to help me, and you've both been super loyal to me this whole time." I heaved and clutched at my chest. "But we're not going to get anywhere with this. I'm not resting until I ensure the safe return of my Toads." Up the walkway, I spotted a hall of doors ahead. "Which room has the Warp Pipe, Toadette?"

"Um…I think it's the third one down, but let me scout ahead to check."

She ambled on to the doors to peek inside, as I turned to Daisy. She smiled to me and rested her hand on my shoulder, but I frowned, and turned my attention to the cavern walls of the temple fortress. Some shattered statues and pots, but others were intact.

"Peach, what is it?"

"These walls, the ceiling…" I spun in place, checking the temple around me once more. "Everything stopped crumbling."

"Do you think Bowser's forces gave up?"

"Years have taught me that Bowser and his Koopa Troop are relentless."

"Then…what gives?"

"No idea, but we'll need to use this to our advantage."

"Here, in here, Princess Peach!"

Pivoting back to the doors, Daisy and I hurried over to Toadette, standing in the doorway to the first Warp Pipe. The others followed as we went inside, wasting little time scrambling into the pipe.

* * *

**[Meanwhile]**

On the Airship's deck, Ludwig folded his arms, surveying his forces as they marched with crates back and forth. They shouted and hurried from cannon to cannon, scrambling to continue their work.

"Ludwig, what the hell is going on?!"

Sighing, the dark blue haired Koopaling turned to face his other four brothers, recently arriving to the deck. Larry and Wendy returned to Ludwig's side soon after. Roy, with tightened fists, scowled at his eldest brother. Behind him stood his brothers, with Morton matching Roy's glares.

"Exactly what we've planned on." Ludwig smirked and glanced to the mountain behind him. "Peach and her friends fall here, once and for all—"

"You just launched an attack against them?!" Roy slammed a fist into his palm. "Are you crazy?! We could've come up with anything to stop them, not just tossing an attack right at their faces!"

"Exactly what were you planning on when we decided to go after them?" Ludwig returned his attention to Roy and shook his head. "What, did you want to try a sneak attack against them?"

"This goes back to what I yelled at you over before, Ludwig," complained Morton. "You're still throwing us right into the fire without even thinking this through. What's the point of any kind of assault if we're not absolute in our conviction, in our efforts to stop Peach?"

"And yet, neither of you are listening to me." He dug his claw through his hair, and growled. "Just how strong can Peach be, if she's properly exhausted from prior confrontations and challenges? On top of that, she's supposed to be the leader of her team now; if she can't get everyone to cooperate under her orders, they'll easily fall apart before they can even get out of that crumbling fortress."

"It…doesn't look like it's tumbling down yet," noted Lemmy as he gazed at the temple from the Airship. "I can see that it kind of looks damaged, but you don't even have to zoom in to tell that it's still intact."

"For now."

"So, you're looking to exhaust her, or them, and then finish them off aboard this ship?" Iggy adjusted his glasses. "That does sound fairly thought out. And with my back-up strategy, we should have a great advantage over them."

"Thank you, Iggy."

"Look, I don't know about the rest of you, but at least Ludwig has a plan rolling here," pointed out Larry. "You're complaining that it's not a good one, or thinking of ways that it could fail, but what other choices do we have? Facing Peach head on will get us annihilated, and we don't have the ammunition to try blasting her from the face of the Mountains either."

"It's true," concurred Wendy. "The troops are reloading after the first wave already, but we can't use everything we have now, or we'll be totally defenseless when they finally do board the ship."

"So, we've resigned ourselves to the fact that they are boarding," muttered Morton. "And exactly what are we doing to counter this?"

"We raised a shield."

"What, just between you, Ludwig, and Wendy?"

"It stopped her attack."

"Once. It stopped her attack once." Morton shook his head. "Ludwig—"

"Yes, go on," snapped Ludwig. "What else would you like to criticize here?"

"Tell me: what troops are inside of the fortress?"

"Nothing terribly worthwhile—"

"All troops are integral to the army!" Roy punched at the railing next to Ludwig, eliciting several cracks on it. "Did you just pick what you decided would be most expendable?!"

"They are expendable."

"If Bowser thought that way, we'd have all died out under Peach's reign years ago."

"He's selfish in his own right."

"But smart about these things!" Roy grasped his head and grumbled. "I'll admit that he can be a little too easygoing with losing Koopas and Goombas, but he doesn't do it for fun!"

"No, I have to side with Ludwig here," stepped in Wendy. "Bowser can set up troops to take a fall and a half for him, when need be."

"His overall purpose is to liberate all of them, though," countered Lemmy.

"As is ours," snapped Larry. "That's why the troops agree to these kinds of conditions, serving Bowser to the end. They're willing to believe that he can finally stop Peach!"

"He hasn't even still," murmured Ludwig. "But following through with this, we can."

"At this point, questioning it doesn't make a difference," reminded Wendy. "We've already attacked. If we pull back now—"

"We won't have to deal with the aggravation of Peach's forces," interrupted Morton.

"But we'll have only delayed her wrath," returned Wendy. "We still have her precious Toads here, remember? If we turn back, she'll only advance her assault on Bowser's Castle."

"Would you really prefer to have the castle itself at risk?" Larry folded his arms. "Especially with, you know, Bowser being completely and totally absent, while his son is totally vulnerable without him there."

Roy and Morton dropped their shoulders, exchanging sullen, overcome faces with one another. Larry smirked, while Ludwig pivoted back to the Mountains.

"Again, troops! Fire all!"

Each of the Koopalings listened to the higher ranked soldiers shout the attack orders as they gazed between one another or at their target. Further arguments were left muffled and silenced under the heavy winds and bursts of cannon fire.

* * *

**[Peach]**

Forced from the Warp Pipe, I launched from the green blurred tube and into the new room. Floating to the ground, I turned and watched as the others jumped or crashed onto the ground nearby. Rumbling cracks rang out from outside, and stones shattered down from the ceiling.

"Let's keep moving."

Pushing the door open, we returned back to the main room, further up from before. I glanced below at the Thwomps, a few stories down from us now, as they slammed on the bridge. Even their thuds and grunts were hard to hear from this high up.

"Trouble ahead!"

Daisy's voice alerted me back to our path, as several Dry Bones soldiers rushed down a ramp at us. They chucked bones through the air, and I jabbed my scepter ahead, zapping the bones away and down the pit of the temple.

Luigi started to rush forward, but I quickly shot a pink ball of ice from my rod. The leading Dry Bones was hit and encased in ice.

"Everyone, get behind me!"

"Peach, we don't need to fight—"

"If we break them apart, they'll just reform," I reminded him. "Just get back already!"

With just a bit of reluctance, Luigi shuffled back behind me. Twirling my Royal Scepter counterclockwise, I swept it back and forth before thrusting it ahead. Its head flickered with a soft blue light, catching fragments of pebbles that rained down.

A spray of frost and ice erupted from the wand, hitting each of the Dry Bones. One pulled its arm back, but was frozen in the middle of its toss. Another two were still hurrying down to us as they were encased. The last managed to turn around from dropping, and froze alongside its allies.

Soreness weighted my arms down and I gasped as they fell. My knees gave out and I dropped to them, barely keeping myself from collapsing entirely.

"Princess!"

Toadette rushed over and helped to hold me. Daisy stepped beside me, placing her hand on my back and waist. Together, they lifted me from the ground again, and I stumbled from the quick rise.

"Told you," muttered Daisy.

My mouth parted slightly to argue, but I could barely breathe. Even with the dimmer lighting from the cavern, the whole fortress seemed too bright.

Tilting my head up a bit, I spotted a green and white blur zip across the air. A loud pop crackled from further up the ramp. Yoshi had tossed an egg at an oncoming opponent. Luigi and Birdo cheered a bit, but I couldn't quite make out the words, if any. Another egg soared by, followed by another pop, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

_Just relax…and breathe…focus…come on, Peach…_

Opening them again, I took in the sight of another Dry Bones falling apart as two more hurried down from above levels. More stones fell from above us as well. My arm shot up, but the weight of the scepter brought it back down.

"Just ease off, Peach," urged Daisy.

"One's breaking from the ice!"

The girls helped me turn as Yoshi backed up a bit from two of the Dry Bones that broke loose from my ice spells. Luigi hurried ahead and pulled him back further.

"Now what?"

Someone screamed, as red and black whipped past me. Pauline, clutching some kind of staff, ran ahead and whacked the two freed Dry Bones from the platform entirely, sending their bones raining down to the abyss below. She spun around, with her brown hair flipping past her panicked, wide-eyed face.

"Can we please keep going, before the rest of them come back to life?!"

She waited a moment as Luigi, Yoshi, and Birdo hurried ahead to her. The four continued our ascension, as Toadette and Daisy heaved me after them.

"L-let go," I managed between my heavy breaths. "I…I can do this…"

"No, Princess, just let us," insisted Toadette. "Rest a moment, or you'll collapse again."

"But—"

"Enough," intervened Daisy. "Quit arguing and just let us do this for you!"

Even still, I wanted to keep going, afraid of holding my two closest friends back. But as I barely nodded, my head lowered and my vision failed. My body gave out on me as I went limp, and my hair dropping over my eyes was the last bit that I managed to spot clearly.

Shouting persisted as we carried on. Cracking. Crumbling. My friends lugged me onward, that much I could tell. Muffled grunts and thuds were about the most that I could hear. Brown blurs of the floor passed by, sometimes slowed, but even then, I still couldn't tell when I was moving or when we had stopped.

Sometimes, I just shut my eyes, and I waited to fall unconscious. But screaming and shouting rang out, however little I could hear them, and it kept me awake, if just barely. Crunches of debris and shattering stones ensured me to stay up as well.

After a bit, something green and white rolled into my sight, and I panicked. Though I wanted to squirm and help him up, Toadette kicked it away, and I realized it was neither Luigi nor Yoshi.

"…Need to hand her off…" That was Daisy's voice.

"…Sure?" Toadette's was next.

"We have to."

"Go, I've got her." Pauline.

They passed my body around, and Pauline held me up as she dragged me from the main cavern and into another room.

"Come on, Princess," I made out, as she pulled me over to a wall. Green. No, we were already at the next Warp Pipe. "Hold on."

She pressed something to my lips, and I waited a moment. Pauline tilted my head back a bit, and I watched as my hair fell away, as my mouth parted a bit more. Cool liquid, water, filled my mouth. I choked a bit as it went down, and coughed from it hitting my throat.

"Sorry, sorry!"

Rubbing my face with my arm, I focused again and spotted Pauline clutching a canteen. Snatching it, I guzzled water from it and let it pour down my throat once more. This time it was smoother, refreshing, and revitalized me a bit.

"Ok, that's good," determined Pauline. "Uh, I haven't really needed that much anyway, so if you need to finish it, go ahead."

"It's fine." I brushed some from my lips and passed her back the canteen, with a swish of the water still inside. At least half full, I wasn't going to rob her of the rest.

"Uh, sure. Well, if you need any more, just let me know."

Blinking, I tried to focus my vision again. Rumbling and blasts rang out past the temple walls, and I listened to some idols fall over and break. Still, it was just us in here.

"Where are the others?"

"Securing outside, waiting to knock off the rest of the Dry Bones." She brushed back some locks of her brunette hair, and I met her gaze for a moment. "You sure that you're ok?"

"Yes. Just help me up and let's get back out there."

"Um, not yet."

"Why not?"

"Daisy and Toadette told me that they'd keep the others outside for a bit," admitted Pauline. "I'm supposed to be searching to make sure that we found the second Warp Pipe."

"…I don't follow…"

"They're letting me talk with you, help you out with what we're currently facing."

"Oh."

"And to talk you into not overdoing it, not being so mistrusting, etcetera—"

"Wait, what?"

"Mistrusting." She scratched behind her head. "Uh, you know, with…everyone."

"Right," I snapped, and forced myself up, pushing away from the wall. I trudged past her, back to the door. "That's not happening."

"Please Peach," begged Pauline. "There are some things that you just have to let go."

"This is war!" I spun around and glared at her, surprised that she didn't even flinch. "I can't afford to let anything go!"

"Not the bigger things, no," relented Pauline. "But your issues with your own allies? With Birdo, Yoshi, and Luigi, of all people?"

"Oh, don't treat him like he's some kind of saint." I rolled my eyes. "If there's one thing that Luigi's biggest cheerleaders get wrong, it's that he's some kind of innocent, fragile little man that needs protecting. He's not. He's tough, and he can handle himself in the worst situations."

"True, but we're getting off topic here." She shook her head. "I know what it feels like, to feel so betrayed. Obviously not to your high stakes level, and I'm not trying to compare myself to what you go through."

"Then what—?"

"Because of Mario, actually," admitted Pauline. "After we went our separate ways, I didn't want to talk with him for years, honestly."

"Why? Weren't you the one to break up with him?" I tightened my fists and scowled. "What, did he lie to me about that too?!"

"What? No!" She shook her head again, wildly this time. "That was all me, I broke up with him. I…I couldn't handle where life was going with us for that. After all, a giant ape kidnapped me, and then he went on to discover this place where giant turtles would attack him?" She laughed a bit sharply. "There was no chance I wanted to be part of that, not a few years back."

"So?"

"Thing is, I wanted Mario to change for me, not with me." Pauline folded her arms and frowned, more than before. "I wanted him to come back for me, to tell me I was right, and for me to mean more to him than anything else in his life." She sighed. "To me, him leaving and not coming back, accepting our relationship had ended…that bothered me far more than it did him, in the long run."

"You felt betrayed because he didn't meet the expectations you envisioned for him," I summarized.

"Yes, in short." Pauline brushed a hand through her wavy brown hair. "Look, I could further this analogy between my situation and yours, which wasn't meant to compare, though that's exactly where it went, but I digress." She clasped her hands together, and pleaded to me. "Peach, I know you feel totally betrayed by your closest friends, and I know it's hard for you to rely on those you can't completely trust, but they've gone this far with  _you_. Not with Mario, but with you." I bit my lip and she smiled a little. "They're on your side, whether you believe it or not, because if they weren't, they would have bailed a while ago. Sure, your goals might not line up exactly to one another's, but they line up enough for everyone to still stand by you, even when you're at your harshest, even when you guys are clashing."

Pauline placed her left hand on my shoulder, and tilted my face to hers with her right. I gazed quietly into her pale blue eyes, and its softness made me envious, contrasting my sharper blues.

"Also, this whole fortress is literally crumbling," added Pauline with a straight, smiling face, "so like it or not, we really all need to work together in any and every way possible."

"Uh…when you put it like that, of course." She certainly knew how to land a convincing argument.

"Good. I'm going to open the door, then." Pauline started towards it, but stopped and glanced back to me. "You ready?"

"We don't exactly have the time for that."

"All the same, just keep it together, and work with the others."

"Right, I've got it." She walked over again. "Pauline?" She turned back and I forced a smile. "Um…thank you."

"My pleasure, Princess Peach." She pushed the door back open. "Guys, we found the pipe! It's this way!"

The others poured in after Pauline as they shuffled into the room. Toadette hurried over to me and clamped around me, as I patted her head. She glanced up to me, and I smiled down to her. It was genuine, as I nodded to give her reassurance.

"Good to see you up again!" Daisy patted my shoulder and grinned. "So, ready to keep climbing?"

"We shouldn't have much further after this," revealed Toadette.

"Really?" Birdo tilted her head. "But, before, you made it seem like—"

"Well, there is some platforms to jump up and across," detailed Toadette. "And…the main chamber before the apex itself."

"Huh?"

"A room for a boss," realized Luigi.

"Yeah."

"Oh. Super." Birdo shook her head. "Who designs a room for a giant monster to attack us with, anyway?"

"Bowser modifies certain rooms at times," I explained. "…Other times, we have them for other purposes ourselves, such as council rooms or ballrooms even."

"Well, we'll get some kind of dance out of this, but not the fun one," quipped Birdo, more annoyed than humored.

"And, um, there's one more thing I should mention," added Toadette as Luigi jumped up, onto the Warp Pipe.

"What's that?"

"This one is a lot faster than the other one with transportation, so—"

"How fast?"

Luigi stumbled back and fell into the pipe, screaming as he rocketed through it. Yoshi leapt up to the pipe's rim and glanced back with widened eyes.

"Um…very."

Diving after him, Yoshi disappeared. Birdo scoffed and helped Pauline up before following the two. Daisy and I lifted Toadette, and she waited at the edge as we climbed up.

"Ready to go?"

"Princess?"

"Yes, I believe so." I nodded to them. "I'm counting on you two the most, but Pauline raised some…fair points."

"Great, that's what we were hoping for," disclosed Daisy. "After all, she seems good at those talks that, I don't know, ease things out." She shrugged. "Luigi seemed better with her around, anyway."

"Quite." I nodded once more. "Ok, let's go."

Leading, I jumped in first, and was pulled into a rush through the Warp Pipe. Shutting my eyes, my body jerked around with a few turns and spirals.

Firing out of its connected pipe, I floated in the air a moment. Toadette rocketed out next, and I grabbed her as we crashed back down. Right after, Daisy launched out last, and crashed on top of Luigi and Yoshi.

"Aw yeah! Perfect landing!"

"Yeah…no," managed Luigi.

"Oh. So that's why it was soft."

Daisy laughed and bounced up from the two. Yoshi picked himself up first, shook his head, and reached down to Luigi. He hesitated, and seemed to pull his hand back a bit, but Luigi grasped it. Smiling, he pulled the plumber back up.

Birdo roughly cleared her throat, and we turned to her and Pauline walking back over.

"We peeked outside." Pauline jabbed back to the door with her thumb. "Lots of platforms for jumping up. And falling from, I'd imagine. Uh…I'll see you guys at the top, I guess?"

"Hang on, I can carry you," offered Yoshi, as he pulled away from Luigi.

"No, that's ok—"

"Please, I insist." He smiled. "You're lighter than other loads I've carried before."

"Hey," cut in Luigi, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're not that much lighter than Mario after all," teased Daisy, and earned a few laughs.

"Everyone," I started up and they quieted down. "I…well, you all know my powers are failing—"

"Because you're overdoing it," interrupted Daisy.

"Well…yes." I brushed my hair back. "Anyway, I…honestly, I hate asking for favors. But, I'm going to count on you to help us reach the top of the spire." I met Birdo's eyes, then Yoshi's, and finally Luigi's. "All of you. …Please."

"We're already doing that," pointed out Birdo. "You passed out for half the trip up, remember?"

"Right, but…I still need to rely on you." I quietly exhaled through my nose and glanced down at the Royal Scepter. "If I keep going, that will only make more work for you all. So…if you could—"

"Don't worry about it, Peach." Luigi folded his arms. "We're used to protecting you."

"That's what I hate."

"Bad luck that you're a princess, then," joked Daisy. "The more you're responsible for, the more people have to watch out for you."

"Guess we'll have to push both of you back," mocked Toadette.

"Hey!" Daisy pounded her fists together. "I can still fight!"

"Regardless, it's better if we take lead going forward," insisted Luigi. "We don't know what else is ahead, so if it's just the Dry Bones remaining, we can just power through them."

"There probably won't be that many ahead, so it's mostly just jumping," decided Toadette.

"Even better."

"So, platforms, maybe some Dry Bones, and whatever else they left us." Luigi nodded, but paused for a moment as the room shook and stones crashed from the ceiling once again. "Better make this quick. Let's go!"

With that, we hurried forward, up another ramp that led to the cliffs of the cavern. Luigi jumped up to take the lead, as Birdo scooped up Toadette to follow. Pauline climbed aboard Yoshi as he fluttered up, and Daisy nodded to me before we leapt up after them.

Vaulting from one platform to the next, Luigi quickly gained a lead, and I watched as he knocked a Dry Bones guard down from a cliff above. Yoshi hovered past Birdo, and jumped again to chase Luigi.

"Keep up, Birdo!"

"Darling, you make chasing so much fun."

She and Toadette giggled as they bounced up the edges, after Yoshi and Pauline. I floated across from my next jump, reaching another platform. I waited for Daisy, who jumped up, but nearly missed the cliff.

Grasping at her arms, I pulled her up, but faltered myself. Luigi dropped down from above and helped us back to the platform.

"Thank you."

"You're both welcome."

He smiled and we continued our ascension, racing after the others. Birdo fired an egg from her snout, and we watched another pile of Dry Bones rain down. Along with it came stalactites, which forced us to jump away from one cliff to the next.

"Almost there," called Pauline. "We can do this, everyone!"

Another pop rang out, as a few bones dripped down from above. We looked up as Yoshi punted a skull from the platform.

"Wow." Daisy nervously chuckled. "That…that one might not come back!"

"Doubt it," noted Luigi. "They're strung together by magic."

"Climb faster," I urged.

They followed me as I jumped up to the next cliff. We jumped a bit more before we finally reached the top of it. I glanced down and stumbled back, not needing a full view of our height from the ground below.

"Finally," mocked Birdo. "We've been waiting forever on you three."

"Princesses move at a dignified pace," I teased. Everyone stared at me for a moment. "Um…that was a joke."

"Yeah, and it's been a while since you've told one," pointed out Yoshi.

Shrugging, I stepped forward, and stared up at the indigo studded door before us. Nodding to the others, we pushed it open and walked inside, as the doors slammed shut behind us.

The hall ahead led upwards still, and as we charged forward, we lagged, as it pressed onward. Slowing, we dropped to a moderate pace, strolling up and into the main chamber ahead.

It was a circular room within, and I looked around, noticing that most of the statues and pottery had been shattered here as well.

"Ok, so—"

"FINALLY!"

Bursting from the ground in the center of the room, a massive gray stone leapt out and crashed down, as we stumbled back and fell over. Glancing up, I stared at the angry glare and gaps between the teeth of its angry mouth.

"It's a Whomp!"

"That's right, Whomp!" He grumbled and stomped forward at us. "You runts have tried walking all over us for years now—and we're sick of it!"

"Here we go." I sighed. "Another Whomp with some long winded speech about how people step onto his kind, give him no credit, and—"

"Ha!" I paused as he stomped down again. "Whomps are definitely treated like the dirt beneath your feet, but I was referring to the Koopa Kingdom collectively!"

"Oh. So a tirade about how I'm oppressive instead." I yawned. "Please, do go on."

"W-what?!"

"This is probably some other speech about how my reign has imprisoned and oppressed whoever serves under Bowser, and you'll droll on about how I've treated you all so terribly for years now—"

"If you understand," thundered the Whomp, "why haven't you changed anything?!"

"No, you misapprehend my comprehension." I stood up and dusted off. "What I know is that this war has been on and off since before I was even a thought in either of my parents' minds. As for the details on it, I'm not familiar with. I followed their footsteps without fully understanding."

"You lie!"

"Exactly what do you even know?" I stepped forward, tightened grip on my rod, as I glanced back and nodded to a rising Daisy. "What has Bowser fed you on any recent matters?"

"He's trying to stop you, same as always," rumbled Whomp. "He's trying to secure equality for us all, and he's sick of you treating us like monsters!"

"So, what do you know of on Bowser's developments with Mario?"

"He's taken your usual place, little princess."

"Is that all?" I shook my head and whipped my hair back. "You're even lower on the chain of command than I imagined."

"Huh? Explain yourself!"

Crumbling sounded again, but it came from above. I glanced around, as the others rose and crept into places around Whomp, who remained focused on me.

"While I would delight myself in such, I can't." I pointed up at the ceiling. "This fortress is falling apart, because of your allies."

"More deception?!"

"No, because the truth is that Bowser's Airship bombards this temple as we speak."

"What?!"

"Your own army has betrayed you," I enlightened him. "They leave you here to fall with the fortress." I extended my free hand for him. "Come with us. I can't promise that I can make immediate amends, but I can help you."

"As if I would trust the words of a liar," snapped Whomp. "Even if Bowser desires this place to fall, I shall crumble with it, with dignity." He stomped again. "I will not allow you to deceive me!"

"Please," I tried, not outright pleading, but imploring him to see reason. "I'm not the one that started this war."

"No, but you've continued it."

Stones and dust rained down from overhead. I shook my head and lowered my shoulders.

"Last time: surrender now, or we will be forced to fight."

"Go ahead. I refuse to give in."

"As you wish." I inhaled and slowly breathed out, softening my expression as my eyes met his glowing red ones. "Please know that in spite of what is to come, I am sorry."

"Not yet, you're not!"

"You leave us no choice." I lowered my free hand and pointed ahead with my scepter. "Everyone, attack."

He roared as Daisy flew forward, her hands encased in crystals as she smashed him back. The Whomp stumbled, and Daisy hurried around him again, bashing him forward to the ground.

Luigi, Yoshi, and Birdo leapt on top of the Whomp, and ground pounded him in succession. He rumbled and forced himself up again, throwing the three of them off once again.

"Runts! You won't pummel this Whomp so easily!"

He dove at them, slamming down again. I shook my head, as Pauline and Toadette huddled close to me.

"Uh, he's…not very bright, is he?" Pauline brushed her hair back as she watched Luigi, Birdo, and Yoshi charge to ground pound him again.

"They're not known for much intelligence," I reminded. "Neither their kind, nor their Thwomp cousins, are particularly brainy."

Another roar erupted from the Whomp and he slammed down against the floor again. Stalactites broke from above and dropped down.

Whipping my wand in a small circle and casting it out, I threw up smaller shields over my allies, with a pink light opening over them. Each shattered after taking hits from the falling stones, but my friends were protected.

"Miserable worms!" Whomp stomped again. "I'll crush you all!"

"Unfortunately," I argued, "you're not even our main threat." My scepter rested on Toadette's back. She glanced back and smirked to me, as I nodded. "We have more important matters to attend to."

Once more, Daisy rushed in and slammed her crystallized fist against the Whomp, knocking it on its back again.

Toadette gasped as a bright pink light enveloped her, gaining strength from my Royal Scepter's power. Racing forward with more speed than ever before, she leapt into the air, and ground pounded down over the Whomp's back.

Wailing out, the Whomp pounded his fist against the floor. He gasped and crashed as he slammed around, but failed to rise again.

"Leave him," I called to the other four. "He'll crumble with the rest of the rubble."

"Peach—"

"Thank you, for your efforts."

I forced a smile to Luigi and the others as I strode past them, and to the door at the other end of the room. Opening it, I waited a moment as I heard the footsteps of the others chase after me.

They followed my footsteps, in spite of understanding.

Entering the last room, we climbed the ladder that waited for us. Blasts still crashed against the fortress, forcing us to grab onto the railings, but it didn't matter, and we would continue to climb again.

Reaching the zenith, I walked outside of it and back to the mountain's very peak itself. The others followed, and I looked out, over the clouds and the mountains, and to the greater kingdom in the distance.

"Maybe I have been wrong, am wrong," I announced. "There must be truth to what so many of Bowser's forces believe in." I turned my head to the others, as they lined up past me and waited. "But I didn't start the war we face now. All I can do is end it the familiar way that I know how."

I exhaled and turned back, facing the Airship as it rose up to meet us. There were no cannons at the moment, perhaps as they were reloading. But perhaps not; they planned it all, and they wanted this.

"Truthfully, I understand that I haven't fixed things between even us," I admitted, to Luigi and the others in particular. "We've hurt one another, and we're still far from forgiveness. And…maybe, some day, we can get there." I sighed and dropped my shoulders. "But right now, my Toads are in danger. Right now, my people, the people that I do know are innocent…they need me. They need us." I glanced back at my friends once more. "Can I count on you all, once again, to carry forward? In spite of everything?"

Without hesitation, they exchanged expressions before nodding to me. No words, just conviction. I smiled.

"Good." I raised my Royal Scepter again. "Then, let's end this."

Crashing sounded from the skies again. Yoshi and Birdo fired out eggs, pelting the shield around the Airship. Daisy punched up rocks and threw them against it as well. The magical shield around the floating vessel wavered.

Pink lightning dropped from the clouds above and shattered the Airship's shield. It broke apart like glass, as the fragments of lights and hexes disappeared from the air. Bullet Bills rocketed out, firing toward us, but it wouldn't matter, even as the fortress would fall.

Circling my wand around again, I whipped it toward my friends, as a golden light surrounded us. Jabbing the scepter forward, we soared across the sky, over the bullets, and went sailing over to the Airship.

* * *

**[Meanwhile]**

Lemmy waved from outside the door to a lowered deck. Iggy chuckled and crept down the stairs, tracing over a remote in his hand.

"Good news, little Toads." The green haired Koopaling cackled. "Your princess has come to finally rescue you! Are you ready to be reunited?"

"You…you won't get away with this!"

The Toads shuddered under cages in the darker corner of the ship. They watched as Iggy sauntered over to them.

"Don't you get it? We already have!" He pressed a button on the remote, and beeping sounded from over the cages. "Now, come, and witness the final stand of Princess Peach!"

Manic laughter sounded from the lowered deck, as Iggy turned back to leave and meet his siblings elsewhere. The cages themselves rattled, following the Koopaling, as the Toads cried out into the quiet air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Creepy cliffhangers are always fun to have back. …Not that cryptic, you claim? Bah, fine, whatever then.
> 
> Well, let me not take too long on these notes; I know they can be tiresome, especially after a chapter. The Koopalings had some more depth added in their asides for this chapter, which was good, since they needed more of that. They're a bit…divided on their approaches to the situation at hand, which may be less under their control as they believe to be.
> 
> Speaking of control, Peach kind of relinquished a bit of hers, after being very drained from her overuse of magic. She's sick of being the helpless one, so it's hard for her to remember that she does have help when she really needs it. Luckily, she has friends that talk some sense into her. And, finally, she's at least trying to meet Luigi and the others half way. Not there yet, but a good start. Perhaps, just maybe, they're becoming a little more cohesive again.
> 
> A good number of new enemies were introduced this time, too! Thwomps haven't appeared until now, and I was happy to finally use them. Bullet Bills as well, which I knew that I had to wait on including. Dry Bones aren't quite new, but it was good going back to them. Whomp wasn't really meant to be the typical boss for the chapter, since that role goes more to the Koopalings, but they certainly wouldn't have left the final room unguarded, and it kept up with the trend of having a fortress boss around.
> 
> Oh, but I can't forget, THANK YOU ALL ONCE AGAIN! Recently, this fanfic has bested any others that feature the pairing between Bowser and Mario (you know, like, all four of them), has reached over 100 Favorites (now in the Top 25) and 100 Followers (Top 6), passed 50,000 views, and continues to surface higher on the archive searches for top stories, based on selected filters. It's really exciting that this story continues to grow and reach out, and I hope it will be one of the top tier fanfics for the Mario archive! Again, thank you to all my readers!
> 
> Even as we continue to stand out, however, feedback is super helpful to standing out more. It helps with that, as well as helping with my writing abilities, and it's just really great to hear from you guys as well, so I do hope that you'll continue to provide me with feedback! Comments, criticisms, and questions are all welcomed, from reviews (another website filter) or messages (on here or Tumblr). Again, I hope to hear back!
> 
> That's it for this chapter for now. Next chapter will feature the climax between Peach's clash with the Koopalings, and the conclusion of this arc. Bowser and Mario are still absent, but that's ok, since that gives them time to kiss on the sidelines. Again, thank you for your continued patience, all your support, and for reading this story so far! More will come, so look forward to it!


	39. An Impasse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peach, Luigi, and their friends board the Airship, leading to a clash between them and the Koopalings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was a long time coming, so thank you all for waiting.
> 
> As of writing, this one comes after the SMO details from Nintendo's presentation, so there's that too.
> 
> But enough of my chit-chat. This chapter is a doozy, likely the longest chapter of the story thus far, so set some time aside for this hefty read!
> 
> And enjoy the current arc's conclusion! Aka, Peach and friends vs the Koopalings. (Neutral perspective too, ooh!)

Stars litter the sky as the Airship's assault progresses with its campaign. Cannon fire still bombards across the sky, bullets sailing to the Mountains and blasting away at the fortress, as parts of it are engulfed in fire or slide from the very cliffs to the abyss below.

Peach watches as Yoshi and Birdo touch down ahead of her, and then lands aboard the Airship herself. She turns to spot her four other friends, also present, before turning towards the ship's forces.

"It's Princess Peach," bellowed a Koopa, barely getting the warning out before an egg slams him across the deck and into a mast.

Two more Koopa Troopas hurry toward the group, but Luigi quickly stomps them into their shells, and kicks one into the other, knocking both across the ship.

Goomba soldiers rush out, but even at the sight of Toadette jumping forward, they turn around and immediately flee from sight. She giggles as she turns to Peach, failing to spot the Magikoopa arrive behind her.

"Get down!"

Toadette ducks as Peach launches a pink fireball, blasting through a hex curse and bursting against the Magikoopa. He yells and rolls out of sight, in an attempt to put out the embers on his robes.

"Huh." Daisy strolls forward and folds her arms. "I was expecting a stronger welcoming committee than that."

"Reinforcements are probably en route to us," notes Peach. "Plus, they wouldn't waste their entire troops on our initial arrival."

"So…where exactly are the Toads on this place?" Pauline walks around, checking the deck of the Airship. "This is…a bit bigger than I imagined. Which, I don't know why, but I didn't quite picture this to such a scale, even from a distance."

"The Koopalings would keep their prisoners close to them, as they usually do with Princess Peach," explains Toadette. "There's no way that we'll find the others until we've made our way through this ship completely."

"That sounds woefully tedious," mutters Birdo.

"Regardless of what it is, we have a job to do." Peach points her Royal Scepter across the Airship's deck. "Let's advance and get to the Koopalings quickly."

"Wouldn't it be easier if we just," Pauline hesitates a moment, bobbing her head back and forth, "I don't know, smash through the entire ship or something?"

"That would simplify matters immensely," agrees Peach. She shakes her head. "If we do that, though, we could end up hurting the Toads or sinking the ship prematurely."

"…Ok, yeah, both sound pretty bad." Pauline shrugs. "But, one of you guys must have an idea of where they keep the prisoners on this Airship, right?"

Everyone mumbles incoherently as they take turns avoiding eye contact with Pauline. She slowly shakes her head at her allies.

"Unbelievable. And, tell me, how many times have you guys boarded this thing?"

"Ships like this, several times over," explains Luigi, as the group advances. "Thing is, Bowser builds and rebuilds Airships each time over. He has a signature one that he sends out, which we're assuming is this one, but we can't be completely certain that this is his main ship. He maintains a fleet of them, at some points."

"A…a whole fleet of…" Pauline shudders. "Ok, points made."

"Glad you're satisfied," jokes Daisy. "Because we've got company."

Ahead, past several crates across the Airship's deck, three small figures march toward the group. Pauline squints, placing her hand over her eyes to identify the tiny figures in the distance. Each had a cross-eyed expression, bobbling back and forth in a mechanical rhythm, as the jaws clapped open and closed with each step.

"Are those…wind-up keys?" She drops her hand and watches as the small creatures bounce back and forth toward them. "Wait, those look like toy Koopas. Or…are they modeled after Koopalings? Or Bowser…mini, uh, Bowsers?"

"Mechakoopas," named Toadette. "They look harmless, but they can clamp down hard on you, as well as spit fireballs out."

"That's, uh, incredibly destructive tooling for toys." Pauline pauses and brushes her hair back. "And that's coming from me, lady wonder that carries around a toy with a hammer attack."

"They also explode upon contact or at random detonations."

"Who comes up with this madness?!"

"You guys are acting like we can't handle this," complains Birdo. "Yoshi, get an egg ready."

"Right behind you."

Both dinosaurs step forward, as Yoshi holds an egg in his hand. He lobs one at the first Mechakoopa, with the shot connecting and detonating it. The other two continue to march forward, as Birdo spits out and launches another egg from her snout. It smacks the second Mechakoopa into the third, and both are set off upon the collision.

"See?" Birdo stretches her arms out. "Easy as that."

"To be fair, they are toys."

" _Evil_  toys, Yoshi." Birdo nudges him. "Don't undermine our victory."

"Either way, good work." Peach continues ahead. "Let's keep moving."

The group follows Peach, as they walk over to the crates. Luigi jumps onto one, and gazes down the ship.

"We've got some cannons ahead," he called out. "Can't tell what kind they are from here."

"What do you mean?" Pauline tilts her head. "So they have multiple things to shoot…ah, who am I kidding? Of course they do."

"Just stick close to the rest of us and you'll be fine," advises Daisy.

"Yes ma'am."

Climbing after Luigi, Yoshi and Birdo follow him across four crates before they jump down and continue across the deck. Peach and the others catch up as the trio comes to a halt, watching the fire that bursts from the cannons as they near them. Above, there are platforms that stick out from the ship's mast, allowing access forward.

"Burners then," notes Toadette. "We'll have to time our movements and go quickly."

"Fire cannons, how wonderful," deadpans Pauline. "Wonders never cease."

"The first one is going out in a moment," analyzes Luigi. "If we jump up at just the right moment…"

He waits as the first Burner's flames retreat and dissipate. Leaping to the first platform, Luigi dashes away as the second Burner rumbles. Then, he vaults past the third cannon, racing across the platform and dropping down on the opposite end.

"Ok, did it."

"Are you serious?" Pauline clasps her hands against her head. "I'm not acrobatic enough for this. My jumps are barely passable as is!"

"Plan B then."

Peach taps on her Royal Scepter and casts a pink barrier around her friends. They blink and turn to her, raising eyebrows.

"Look, I know to cut back more, but I'm not going to torture poor Pauline to move faster than she's able." She shrugs. "This should last long enough to get us across."

With no complaints from her companions, Peach and her allies climb up the first platform, as the Burner's fire blazes against her magic shield. It fizzles under the flames, but holds its form. Scooping Pauline up, Yoshi jumps up to the next platform, and the two wait as the others hop up after them. They turn as the remaining Burners continue to fry the barrier.

"Uh…" Birdo tugs on her bow. "Is it just me, or does that thing look like it's melting?"

"Yeah, I might have maybe lied about its durability," admits Peach.

"You  _what_?!"

"Hate me later, let's run!"

All six dash from the platforms as the bubble bursts and drop down to the other side, landing around Luigi. He folds his arms and sighs.

"Someone could have mentioned you guys were planning on that," he complains. "I would have waited."

"Believe me," assures Daisy between pants, "you had it right to go first."

"Mechakoopas ahead," announced Toadette.

Five more Mechakoopas rattle as they make their way over to the group. Birdo spits an egg at the first one, but before Yoshi could ready his, Peach jabs her wand forward, energy crackling at its heart-shaped head.

"Peach, you just got us through the Burners," cautions Yoshi.

"So?"

"Leave this to us," he reasons. "You'll need to use that again against the Koopalings. Birdo and I can handle this much."

Hesitating, Peach lowers her scepter and nods to Yoshi. He smirks and lobs two eggs forward, smacking two Mechakoopas and triggering their explosives. Birdo launches two more eggs of hers, destroying the remaining pair.

"Ha, easy," touts Birdo. "Yoshi and I are quite the powerhouses against those toys!" She pauses and clears her throat. "Of course, they do present their own dangers, being evil toys. Also, we are quite the power pack regardless, naturally."

"Birdo, no one is questioning our capability."

"It just feels diminishing on our efforts, ok?" Birdo groans. "We took down a slew of Mechakoopas already, and being reminded that they're not very lethal just puts me down."

"Hey, Mario and I are famous for stomping on Goombas," reminds Luigi. "They're a bit above toys, but they're not very strong at all."

"Not always, no," relents Birdo. "Very well. Lead us on, Peach."

"Yes, I shall." Peach strolls forward, but slows to a halt. "Actually. Toadette? Would you happen to know if there are any Warp Pipes ahead?"

"Ah, that's right." Toadette lightly knocks her head. "Some of Bowser's ships use them to ease transport above and below decks."

She scouts ahead, shuffling around crates and peeking around. A Koopatrol walks around one crate, and the others rush over as Toadette jumps away from the armored Koopa. Her friends can only hear a scuffle and a crate smashing before they turn around the corner.

Toadette dusts her hands off and then raises an eyebrow as her friends gawk at the Koopatrol's legs sticking from a broken box.

"What?"

"Uh…Toadette…?"

"Yeah?"

"…Nothing."

"Hey, is that the pipe?"

Everyone continues ahead toward the green Warp Pipe. Daisy gets ready to jump up, but Luigi brings his hand ahead to halt her.

"Huh? What's up?"

"Look, we don't know where that pipe is going to drop us," warns Luigi. "I'll go first. Out of us here, I have the most experience handling these ships."

"Why does that matter?" Daisy folds her arms. "Regardless of who goes first, we all go in blind."

"True, but the first one through is the first to gather his or her bearings and assess the situation." Luigi adjusts his cap. "We can argue about this later, but right now, I'm going."

He jumps up and stands at the edge of the Warp Pipe. Swallowing hard, Luigi jumps in and vanishes down it. The others hesitate for a moment, before Daisy leaps up and follows Luigi's lead. Birdo helps Toadette up, while Yoshi carries Pauline again. Peach waits until all four are up, checking behind her, before jumping up after them. One after another, they all drop through the Warp Pipe and to their next destination.

Dropping from the Warp Pipe, Peach's eyes widen as she lands on a crowded platform hanging from the Airship's bottom.

"Peach!"

Quickly, Luigi snags Peach as the winds blow against her, and he pulls her toward the middle of the plateau. The seven gaze up at the Warp Pipe, a bit too far above to reach in a single jump. They take turns nervously glancing below, with the fortress of the Mountains continues to burn and crumble from its zenith, with little remaining. Directing their attention forward, Peach, Luigi, and their allies watch rotating, wooden gears, barely large enough to jump on. A path across them, however, leads them across to the next, more stable platform, with a Warp Pipe attached to the ship and simple to walk in.

"Ok, I know that I've complained a few times already," calls Pauline. "But, honestly: WHO COMES UP WITH THESE BARBARIC DESIGNS AND IDEAS?! AND JUST WHO THINKS IT'S FINE AND ALLOWS IT?!"

"Only Bowser's army," murmurs Daisy, just above the wind.

"And only one way forward," calls Luigi. "We have to reach the other side."

"With this wind? Are you crazy?" Pauline shakes her head. "We'll just get blown from the sky!"

Whispering to her Royal Scepter, Peach lifts it and creates a pink screen on both sides of her group. They gaze at the pair, which only extends the length of the platform, but easily blocks the wind from gusting through.

"I can maintain this while we cross," announces Peach. "But it won't last long, and we have to stay close. I'll need to be between everyone."

"But, Pauline and I won't do well with these kinds of jumps," notes Toadette.

"It'll be fine," soothes Yoshi. "Pauline can ride on my back, and I'll carry you."

"That's too much for just you," argues Birdo. "Toadette, just hop on with me, and I'll carry you instead."

"Are you sure?" Yoshi rubs his cheek. "You're back isn't saddled like mine."

"It's only Toadette, she's light."

"True." Yoshi nods as Toadette giggles. "Ok, then, that should work, right?"

"If you two can handle it," checks Peach. Both nod to her. "Very well. Luigi, you should probably lead us."

"Wait, I should go last. What if something goes wrong?"

"There's not a lot you can do." Daisy shrugs. "That's game over for the one that falls."

"Just lead us, Luigi." Peach smiles. "We can follow your path and example."

"…Right, ok."

Controlling his breathing, Luigi steps back as the others walk behind him. He dashes forward and vaults across, landing on the first gear. Steadying himself, he turns back to his friends, but stumbles a bit. Walking back, he moves against the gear's cycle, but toward the end of Peach's barrier.

"Uh…whenever you guys are ready?"

"Birdo, go."

"On it."

Scooping up Toadette, Birdo leaps forward, and kicks her feet to hover a slight space. She reaches out and grabs Luigi's hands, as he pulls the two onto the gear with him. Toadette tilts backward, but grasps Birdo's neck and pulls herself up.

"Peach, you have to stay between us," directs Daisy. "You're next."

"But—"

"They're on a spinning gear, Peach, we'll be fine," affirms Daisy. "Go."

"Ok."

Jumping from the platform, Peach snaps her dress, and floats in the air. With a glance back to Daisy, Yoshi, and Pauline, she floats ahead. Her barrier follows her, and she touches down by the others, tripping as she does. Luigi helps Peach up, as they continue to walk in the opposite direction of the gear's rotation.

"Yoshi, go," instructs Daisy.

"But I can cover distances better in the air," disputes Yoshi. "You should go."

"Pauline will end up getting the back draft," assesses Daisy. "We don't need her getting knocked off. Go."

Reluctantly, Yoshi leaps forward, and kicks his feet, propelling himself and Pauline forward. They land on the gear, with little space left on it.

"Daisy, we need to keep moving," calls Peach. "You need to jump while I stay at the middle, and Luigi needs to go ahead."

"Yeah, I've got it. Just go!"

Daisy steps back as Peach centers herself on the wooden gear, with the barrier barely covering the first platform. Luigi waits as Daisy throws herself across, and then rushes forward, jumping to the second, smaller gear. The wind knocks him back, and he struggles to grab onto his plank.

"Luigi!"

Grunting, Luigi hoists himself up and onto the gear, the wind blowing past him. He grabs his hat and the pole keeping the gear in place, stuck walking on its center.

Raising her wand, Peach moves to the end of the gear, but stumbles and falters back. Her barriers shift with her direction, but she manages to balance herself.

"Uh…ok, this isn't working," realizes Peach. "My barriers won't last long enough."

"Shouldn't we have figured that out before attempting this?!" Birdo grasps at her head. "We're going to die now!"

"No, I'm not allowing that," determines Peach. "And we solve that…like this!"

Thrusting her staff forward, Peach shoots a pink ray of ice, blasting each gear until an icy bridge is created between them. She fires it until it reaches the Warp Pipe's platform, and releases her spell.

"That doesn't solve the wind," points out Pauline. "How long do we have before this barrier fades?"

"Another several seconds." Peach pulls Yoshi along. "Let's hurry."

They scurry ahead, reaching Luigi's gear as he runs ahead. Peach centers herself between Yoshi and Birdo, while Luigi leads and Daisy brings up the rear. Her eyes widen as the barriers begin to fade.

"Run! Right now, go!"

Passing the third gear and slipping on the icy bridges, Luigi slides from the barrier's reach, but crashes onto the opposite platform. He grabs it and drags himself to the middle, and charges to the Warp Pipe, large enough to block most of the wind.

Yoshi crosses next, as Pauline tightens her grip on him. Moving within Peach's barrier, he makes it across easily, as Peach herself follows. Birdo trails her, keeping very little distance between her and Peach. The two make it over, and Daisy hurries after them.

"Come on!"

Peach gasps as the barriers fade from both sides, and the wind knocks Daisy around. She stumbles from the third gear, slides on the ice, and falls from the bridge.

"DAISY!"

Before Peach can run forward, Yoshi leaps ahead and fires his tongue out. It whips out around Daisy and snags her, as Peach casts another wall around her, cushioning the whiplash. The new barrier shatters faster, and Yoshi struggles to keep himself in place.

"Hang on!"

Pauline jumps off and pulls Yoshi back, but the two continue to slide. Peach helps, and Birdo latches on next, as the four drag Daisy back up to the platform.

Luigi help Daisy up, as Yoshi retracts his tongue. She shudders and shakes her head, as they walk over to the Warp Pipe.

"Are you ok?"

"Uh…I-I think, after this part of the adventure, I'll officially have developed a case of acrophobia."

"We'll cure that later."

They laugh as Peach and Pauline help Daisy, allowing Luigi to continue through the pipe. Birdo and Toadette follow him, while Peach heavily exhales and hugs Daisy.

"I…I thought—"

"Me too." Daisy laughs and tugs Pauline into the hug. "Some trip, huh Pauline?"

"Mario does this on a regular basis," Pauline takes in. "…How?"

"All the fun of the Mushroom Kingdom," jokes Daisy.

Yoshi waits as the three release their embrace and take turns entering through the pipe. They rocket through it and launch out, crashing down below onto Luigi and Birdo. Toadette shuffles over to them, twirling her braid.

"Uh…head's up?"

"Nice warning," complains Birdo.

"Sorry, couldn't really time it."

Yoshi fires out after them, crashes on top of the group, and knocks the whole pile over. Everyone groans as Toadette giggles, ambling ahead to check the area.

"Clear," she announces. "Just some crates around, no soldiers. We can take a minute to gather our bearings."

"There's no time," insists Peach. "We wasted enough time trying to cross that insanity." She pushes herself up and starts onward. "The Koopalings must be aware of our intrusion by now. Come. My Toads are depending on us."

Toadette nods and joins Peach as they venture ahead. Daisy stumbles as she rises with the others, and Pauline helps her up. They both falter, and Birdo joins in, as the three walk on. Luigi falls back behind the group, scratching behind his head. Yoshi notices and lags back to stay with him.

"So, uh." They make eye contact briefly, but Luigi shifts his attention ahead again. "I've been thinking about what you told me earlier. You know, before all of that."

"My crush on you?"

"Ah, yeah, that."

"Do you have a 'yes or no' answer to it?"

"No…not yet."

"Then it's best left for later discussion."

"Later…?" Luigi shakes his head. "You're being uncharacteristically candid."

"Yes, I have to be." Yoshi sighs. "If I start thinking too much about it, then my emotions are going to get the better of me. I'd just…rather not put myself through that right now."

"Right." Luigi scratched beneath his nose. "Now is certainly not the time, I just, while we had a quiet moment…I didn't want you to think that I had forgotten about it."

"If we're still together, it's not exactly something that goes away, is it?"

"Is this you or Birdo talking?"

"Birdo's blunt, but you should give her more credit," defends Yoshi. "She agreed to helping you when you asked, after all, and she never had to."

"Hey, I'm not trying to offend her," protests Luigi. "I was just…you're acting a little more like her than yourself."

"We're close friends. Personality quirks tend to spread between companions like that."

"That's true, between friends, family, and lovers." Luigi blinks and shudders. "Oh, I wish we hadn't brought that up. I don't want to think about what Mario can adopt from Bowser."

"What, tyrant tendencies or something? Mario's better than that."

"Of course he is. I'm talking about Bowser's boisterous mannerisms. Can you imagine Mario letting out that gruff and obnoxious laugh that Bowser does?"

Yoshi snorts and stifles his laughter. Luigi elbows him as Birdo glowers back, but returns her attention forward.

"Birdo's going to kill me, thinking that you're choking or something!"

"Ha…sorry." Yoshi clears his throat. "It's just…oh, I want to hear Mario laugh like Bowser, or…or roar even! And then, Bowser should try to do that accent!"

Luigi and Yoshi chuckle over the idea, but slowly stop as they gaze at one another. With a shiver, Luigi pulls Yoshi on, and they close the distance between themselves and the group.

"Huh. The crates stack up nicely at the end here," notes Toadette. "Very high up, too."

"That's kind of a weird set-up," decides Pauline. "Unbalanced."

Peach leads her group ahead, and they falter in their footsteps, as Koopas, Mechakoopa, Hammer Bros., and Fire Bros. swarm the deck. Some also roll out Bill Blasters, Cannons, and Burners. Peach pinches her brow and sighs.

"Unless, of course, it was a trap. The crates were to lull us."

"Surrender, Princess!" A red-shelled Koopa steps forward and points at her. "You and your friends are hopelessly outnumbered."

"Somehow, I don't really think so," assesses Peach. She scans the deck, with glares and glowers of her enemies meeting her at every turn. "Hm. Nope, we're not really hopeless at all. You lot, on the other hand—"

"Annihilate them!"

Slamming her hands together, Daisy runs ahead, as eggs from Yoshi and Birdo whiz past her. Several smash against Koopas that raced forward, while Daisy's hands are encased in crystals. She quickly uppercuts the first Fire Bro. that reaches her, and then smacks away another.

With a back flip, Luigi bounces off of a Koopa that advanced on the group. He spirals in the air and kicks down a cannonball, spinning back down to the deck. Another Koopa approachs, as Toadette vaults from his back, forcing him back into his shell.

Pauline steps back as Peach slides ahead of her, her Royal Scepter sparking.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you."

Covering her face with her left hand, Pauline points away from them, as a Hammer Bro. throws two hammers forward. Peach shoots them from the sky, and they slam down to the deck.

The Hammer Bro. grabs another set, but Birdo tackles him down. She spits an egg into his face, knocking him out.

"You're welcome, Princess," shouts Birdo, dodging a fireball.

Thrusting her rod forward, Peach shoots a ball of ice to freeze the Fire Bro. attacking Birdo. She smirks, while Birdo rolls her eyes.

"Hey, Birdo."

"What?"

"Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah."

Mechakoopas surround Yoshi, who backs to a crate stack as he pelts the approaching toys with eggs. He bumps into the box, and holds up his last egg.

"Hang on!"

Luigi drops from above, slamming down onto one Mechakoopa. He jumps away as it explodes, and kicks down another.

Grabbing it, Luigi throws the Mechakoopa at two others, triggering a chain explosion. Three more advance on him as he backs to Yoshi.

An egg crashes into one Mechakoopa, firing it into the others before detonating. Luigi blinks and turns back to Yoshi, still holding his egg.

"Had a second to free you," calls Birdo. She walks over, and rests a hand on Yoshi's shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"Ah, yeah, thank you."

"My pleasure!"

"How about me?" Luigi raises an eyebrow to Birdo.

"Eh, you're Luigi." She laughs. "If you're not fine, we're doomed."

She darts off and spits another egg into a Koopa, slamming it from Toadette, who throws a Koopa shell toward another crowd. Luigi scratches his head and glances back at Yoshi.

"Was that a compliment?"

"Yep." He chuckles. "I thought you knew Birdo by now."

They dash forward as Hammer Bros. approach them. Yoshi throws his egg, and Luigi dodges a hammer before jumping on the troops.

A Burner fires its flames past Daisy, who races past it. She punches an incoming Bullet Bill, turning it from her and sending it flying into the Burner cannon behind her. The explosion engulfs them both, as Daisy runs to the Bill Blaster.

"These things aren't so indestructible now," she taunts.

Punching her fist into the blaster, Daisy pulls her hand from the crystal glove, and jogs backward. She shields herself as the Bill Blaster explodes from its back-up.

She freezes as she hears another Bullet Bill whizzing toward her. Turning, she barely readies her other hand as the bullet explodes before her.

Daisy blinks and turns back as Peach lowers her scepter, dropping her shoulders.

"Sorry. I didn't—"

"You saved me!" Daisy laughs. "That's what counts."

"Delicate princesses like you two always need rescuing," yells a Fire Bro., as fire channels into his mouth.

"…Two?"

As he pulls his head back, a hammer slams against the back of his head. The Fire Bro. falls forward and crashes into the deck, smoke fuming from his buried face. Peach freezes it, while Daisy grins to Pauline, putting the hammer back into her Mini Mario's hands.

"Nice moves, Pauline!"

"That was complete luck, honest." Pauline winds up Mini Mario's key, and sends him against Mechakoopas. "Luck and timing."

"I don't know," continues Daisy. "I think we've got a new powerhouse here!"

"Don't go that far," pleads Pauline.

"She does have a point," chimes in Peach. "All the same, though, thank you."

"You're welcome, Peach."

A cannonball slams down behind Pauline, and she flies forward. Daisy quickly catches her, as Peach casts two fireballs out at the cannon. They bounce off, and Peach falters, as a Koopa rushes her.

"Princess!"

Toadette kicks another Koopa shell, knocking the attacker away. She slides over to Peach and the others, panting, as Daisy places Pauline back down.

"Are…are you ok?"

"Fine, Toadette." Peach smiles. "Thank you, too."

"G-glad to help."

Another cannonball crashes down, and Toadette flops forward from the nearby impact. Peach scowls and points her scepter to the cannon.

"I'm on it!"

Daisy runs forward and slams her fist into the cannon. Its back-up triggers another explosion, but throws Daisy off her feet, having barely pulled her hand back fast enough.

She flies into Luigi, and they both slam and roll against the ground. Another pair of Hammer Bros. toss their hammers, all of which are smacked from the sky by eggs.

Birdo and Yoshi run to their friends, helping them up, as the seven gather back together. They glance around, seeing mostly downed enemies, as Mini Mario slams his hammers down on another Mechakoopa, and flies back from the explosion.

"Oh, poor little guy." Pauline taps Mini Mario's wind-up key, as the toy collapses. "That'll do for now, then."

Opening her bag, Pauline puts Mini Mario and the mallets away. She zips it closed and stands up, as her friends slowly lower their guard.

"That's the end of it, then." Daisy twists her Regal Rings on her fingers. "We definitely could have done without that, I'd wager."

"Honestly, I'm surprised the ship hasn't gone crashing down yet." Pauline studies the broken deck, pointing out several holes, burns, and debris. "I guess it helps that it's an Airship, but come on, we took out the whole crew after they destroyed a lot of this boat themselves."

"Analyze that later." Peach walks across the deck to the stern. "We need to get to the Koopalings already."

"She's really focused on that, huh?"

"Those are her subjects."

Everyone follows after Peach, stepping around broken boards and unconscious crewmates. Passing the damaged deck, everyone reaches another Warp Pipe ahead.

"If we end up getting launched from the sky again," grumbles Daisy, "so help me, I will personally make it a goal to end the Koopalings for that alone."

"Sometimes we have to deal with going outside of the ship multiple times," cautions Luigi. "Though, considering that we just fought off so much of the crew, I think we're reaching our goal."

"Then enough chatter. Let's go."

First up is Peach, jumping up on the pipe's rim, and dropping down right after. Birdo gives Toadette a boost, and then climbs up after her. She pauses as Toadette hops down, and turns back, gazing at Yoshi. He smiles and waves to her, and she winks to him, before turning back and following Toadette.

"Are you sure you're not interested in her?" Luigi scratches behind his head.

"We're friends," affirms Yoshi. "Just…good friends."

He carries Pauline up to the Warp Pipe, and allows her to drop down it first. Yoshi turns back to Luigi and nods, before jumping down after Pauline.

"Hey, are you ready?" Daisy rests her hand on Luigi's shoulder.

"Yeah, I think so. How about you?"

"Definitely."

Together, they jump up onto the pipe's rim. Nodding to one another, Daisy hops down the Warp Pipe first. Luigi hesitates once more, glancing behind him at the ravaged Airship. Exhaling, he jumps down the Warp Pipe, traveling after his friends.

After a moment, Luigi drops from the Warp Pipe, and lands on the ground. He picks his head up after steadying himself, and glances around. His friends are spread out and a little distance from him. The room is below the ship, fairly barren, but with wide windows on both sides, allowing the group to gaze at the night sky outside. Five circles are on the ground around the room, giving a bit of shape to the area.

"Somehow, I think we're in for a fight soon," murmurs Toadette.

"Are you kidding me?" Pauline gazes around the wooden room. "How is this ship still big enough for a whole arena? Seriously, how and why do they prioritize that?"

"To be honest, I stopped questioning it years ago," admits Luigi. "They've actually built bigger ships when they went to space."

"When they what?"

"Bravo, bravo."

Ludwig walks out from the edge of the room, as his slow applause dies down. He smirks as Peach slides her scepter from her hand, and points it at Ludwig. Her friends ready themselves behind her.

"Where are your siblings?"

"Waiting." Ludwig chuckles. "Couldn't have made this easy, huh? It would have been nice to know that you were buried in the rubble of that fortress."

"That was a sacred temple for Toads!" Toadette stomps forward. "You completely demolished it, and for no reason!"

"Funny." Ludwig's grin fades into a scowl. "If history taught me correctly, that's similar to how Koopas have been treated by Toads in the past. We've had our safe havens toppled and permanently disrupted several times over."

"If you're going to try making me carry the sins of my ancestors and people," advises Peach, "you're a little late to the party. I'm not torturing myself over that."

"Why not?" Ludwig's grin returns. "That's exactly what you'll be doing tonight."

"What are you talking about?!" Toadette raises her fist and shakes it. "Where are the other Toads? What have you done with my friends?"

"Silly Toad girl," taunts Wendy's voice. "Why not just ask them yourself?"

Blinking, Luigi jumps as the five circular markings around the room snap open. From below, five of the Koopalings ride up…on top of cages. Peach and Toadette's eyes widen as they spot the Toads in each cage, slumped over. Red Toad manages to lift his head, and opens his eyes a bit.

"Prin…Princess?"

"My Toads!" Peach returns her attention to Ludwig. "What have you done to them?!"

"Yes, 'your Toads,' how precious," mocks Wendy, sliding from the roof of Red Toad's cage. "Well, the obvious is that we've kept them as bait, just for you. Wasn't that nice of us?"

"You're sick," spits Daisy. "All of you."

"Like you wouldn't have done the same," fires back Larry, hopping from Blue Toad's cage. "We've seen you losers. When your precious citizens are around, you act sweet, but when the coast is clear, open season on the Koopas."

"That's not it at all," protests Yoshi.

"No?" Roy jumps from Purple Toad's cage. "You tell me, did you or did you not completely pulverize the rest of our crew?"

"They attacked us, it was self defense," argues Birdo.

"Sure, but you still could've tried to avoid the confrontation," contests Lemmy, bouncing from Yellow Toad's cage. "But you couldn't resist."

"Is there meant to be a point to all these accusations?" Pauline brushes her hair back. "As I recall, it was Bowser's army that took over the fortress. And it was your group that instigated these fights."

"Who are you supposed to be, anyway?" Morton drops from Puple Toad's cage. "Anyway, our point is that you're all willing to sink to our level."

"You've forced us there!" Luigi steps forward. "Quit acting so self-righteous. You're trying to justify your actions, but you're failing miserably."

"Oho, is that so?" Iggy appears from behind Ludwig, holding a small remote controller. "Seems like we're doing a good job of provoking that aggression right from your group here."

"Meanwhile, let's just ignore your hostility at kidnapping my innocent Toads," reminds Peach. "Brilliant."

"Ah, yes, how did they end up in this position?" Ludwig rubs his chin. "As I recall, we caught them sneaking around our king's castle. Innocent, you claim?"

"We were trying to rescue our friend, who your king kidnapped!" Toadette pounds her fist into her palm. "Enough with your stupid slander! If you're looking for a fight, then let's get this over with!"

"Aw, but don't you want to hear about our surprise?" Iggy grins wickedly. "After all, I worked hard on getting it ready, just for all of you."

"Save it," snaps Peach. "Toadette's right, if you want to fight, let's fight already."

"Very well." Ludwig folds his hands behind his back and steps forward. "Please, Princess, do take your best shot. I'll make it easy for you."

"Peach, don't." Pauline grabs the scepter and tugs it back as Peach raises it. "He's goading you."

"He could be bluffing," offers Luigi.

"When they have an upper hand by holding the Toads?" Pauline shakes her head. "What are you little monsters up to?"

"Rude, especially for a complete no one." Wendy rolls her eyes. "We just want to enjoy our surprise."

"Shut up," thunders Peach. "What is it?"

"Care for a demonstration instead?" Ludwig nods to Lemmy. "Hit me."

"Sure thing!"

The smallest Koopaling pulls out one of his signature bouncing balls, and roughly throws it at Ludwig. He takes the hit in the face, and jerks back as it collides.

Sparks flicker in both Red Toad and Blue Toad's cages, which then light up. Electricity courses through them, and both Toads scream as they're electrocuted.

"Stop it! STOP!" Peach thrusts her wand out and fires at the cages, but her attack bounces off and fades in the air around the cage. "What?!"

"Come now, we couldn't make it easy for you." Ludwig chuckles. "What fun would that be?"

"Explain what the hell this is!" Luigi clenches his fists. "What did you just do?"

"Each of us will be wearing wired cuffs that measure the influx of pain we receive, as will our wands," divulges Iggy. "With every blow registered, it transmits the data to sensors that are calculated into the cages, and amplified with deposited voltage that provides a negative feedback on your precious little bugs."

"…Ok, what?"

"Here's how this works so that even you imbeciles can understand." Iggy points the remote to the cages. "Hit any of us, and your Toads will feel more than a jolt of pain."

"You sick dastards!"

"Hate us as much as you like," taunts Ludwig. "You brought this upon yourselves."

Peach scowls and grips her Royal Scepter, her arm shaking. Yoshi and Birdo lean back, narrowing their eyes. Luigi adjusts his cap and sighs.

"W-we have to do something!" Toadette's hands go right over her mouth.

"Your surrender will do just fine," cheerfully suggests Lemmy.

"If you give up here, you'll spare yourselves a lot of pain later," offers Morton.

"Uh…yeah, no, not likely," cuts in Ludwig. "But good effort."

"Ludwig…!"

"There's no sense in lying to them." Ludwig smirks. "Princess Peach will likely be executed once Bowser gets what he needs from her. Princess Daisy shares her fate. The girl in red there has no use. Nor do the dinosaurs or the remaining Toad. Luigi is the only one that would likely have a chance, because of his brother."

"Oh! Oh oh!" Wendy excitedly claps her hands together, facing Luigi. "Do you know—?"

"Bowser and Mario are dating, yeah, everyone here knows," mumbles Luigi.

"Aw, why aren't you happy?" Wendy places her hands on her hips. "It's really cute, and you're his brother."

"Did he approve of this little assault?"

"Uh…" Wendy adjusts her cuffs beneath her bracelets. "…They're still really cute."

"Wendy, gush later," hisses Iggy. "Princess! Your surrender! Now!"

"If that's what it takes, I'll do it." Peach lowers her wand. "But that's not happening unless you guarantee the safety of everyone else with me."

"Sure, we can drop off the Toads." Larry snickers.

"No. Everyone with me, not just the Toads." Peach rubs her thumb against her scepter. "I won't resist, and you can take me to Bowser's Castle, so long as you release everyone else. The Toads, my friends, all of them go free."

"Seriously?" Wendy shakes her head. "You expect us to take a deal like that?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

"Because we have two princesses here," reminds Wendy. "Daisy might be worth less, but she's still got some value to her name."

"Hey!"

"She's not required for Bowser's conquest," disagrees Peach. "You get me, or you'll have nothing."

"You're in no position to make demands," reminds Ludwig. "Iggy?"

Grinning, Iggy pushes a button on his remote. All five of the cages light up and electrocute the Toads.

"Stop it!"

"Princess, Princess." Iggy chuckles. "You're nowhere near in control of this."

Waving her wand, Peach swipes it down, sending the remote to the ground. She thrusts forward and causes it to self-destruct. Iggy yelps and covers himself, as the cages for Green Toad and Yellow Toad flash and shock the pair.

"That was fantastically foolish," taunts Ludwig. "All you did was ensure that we have the Toads in our trap. Without that remote, there's no way to turn it off."

"Let's be real," interrupts Daisy, "you wouldn't have turned it off either way."

"Mm. True."

"This is fun, Ludwig, but I think we're all bored already," voices Wendy. "Can we just get on with beating them?"

"Yes, now would be good."

"Then what're we waiting for?" Roy pounds his fists together. "Let's just hurry this up and go."

Each of the Koopalings step forward, brandishing their wands and facing off each of Peach and her friends, who huddle close together in the middle. Yoshi, Daisy, and Birdo position themselves against Wendy, Larry, and Ludwig.

"We still have to stop those cages somehow," mumbles Toadette.

"Leave it to me," insists Pauline. "I'll get these cages open as soon as possible."

Peach nods and steps forward, joining the others in taking positions against the Koopalings. Luigi stands beside Pauline and hesitates.

"Since when did you become skilled enough to deal with foreign technologies?"

"Um, I didn't," whispers Pauline.

"Then—"

"My plan right now is to hit random buttons until the cages break or open."

"Pauline…"

"What?! We have to do something, and it's the best that I've got!" She shakes her head. "Luigi, I understand the risks. But you guys are stronger than I am, and can handle going up against the Koopalings in a fair fight." Brushing some hair from her face, Pauline glances to the cages. "This might not be familiar to me, but I've tooled around with tech before, and I'm going to figure this out one way or another. If I can only do so much, I'm going to at least get that done."

"…Ok."

Luigi walks in front of Pauline, blocking her from Lemmy and Morton. He nods to his friends, as they rush forward.

"Just what are any of you hoping to accomplish?"

Ludwig leaps back as Wendy fires out a golden ring from her wand. Yoshi and Birdo toss eggs to collide with it, but it shatters both, only weakening in size.

The pair jumps away from the attack as it flies across the room. Pauline ducks and shouts for Luigi, who jumps as the ring floats beneath him.

Morton casts his wand next, and a dark pink fireball bursts from his wand. Peach whips out her rod to counter it with a fireball of her own.

Toadette scurries toward Larry and Lemmy, but twists around as they point their wands at her.

Lemmy laughs as she darts aside, and throws a bouncing ball at her. Larry rolls his eyes and waves his wand, casting a light blue fireball and tossing it forward at Toadette. She ducks and rushes at them once again.

Luigi lunges at Iggy, who pulls back with his wand. He growls as he tries to throw Luigi off, but fails to do so.

Pauline watches as Daisy gets in front of Ludwig, sidestepping his trio of dark blue fireballs. Nodding, she sprints to Purple Toad's cage.

"Ok, let's see here…"

Staring at the buttons at the cage's base, Pauline scratches her head. Pushing a green one, she flinches and winces as sparks emit from the cage's bars.

"Not that, huh?"

"Pr…Princess?"

"Sorry, wrong lady." Pauline shrugs. "A common mistake, I'd wager. I could pull blonde well enough." She brushes back her hair. "Nothing like brunette though!"

"Ugh…"

"Right, not the time, sorry."

Pressing another button, Pauline waits, but nothing happens. Blinking, she traces over a red button, and hesitates.

"Hmm…they always claim that red is bad, but…Mario and I make it look good."

Gently tapping it, Pauline watches as the cage vibrates. She sighs and shakes her head.

"Yeah, I don't know what that was even for." She grabs the sides of her head and groans. "Come on, Pauline…you've got to do this."

"Hey! Get away from those cages!"

Twisting her head back, Pauline's eyes widen as Iggy casts a green fireball at her. She gasps as Birdo's egg connects with it, exploding and canceling the magic fireball.

"Whatever you're doing, hurry!" Birdo spat an egg at Iggy, only to have it burst next to him. "We can't keep a stalemate forever!"

"Right, right…"

Pauline shakes her head again, pushes her hair back, and glosses over the cage's control console again.

A bouncing ball sounds beside her, and Pauline presses a button as she turns to watch the ball connect with Toadette, smacking her away from the cages. Birdo runs over to spit eggs at Lemmy, who cackles at the pair.

Turning back, Pauline blinks at the cage, which seals before her eyes. Panicking, she types at multiple buttons, triggering the electricity again.

"Ah, damn!"

Purple Toad wails from inside of his cage. Pauline hammers the console, punching a yellow button. The whole thing pops open, and she yelps as Purple Toad slumps over.

"Oh my gosh!"

Quickly pulling mallets from her bag, Pauline uses them to lift Purple Toad from his cage. She places him aside and waits as he groans.

"Hey." She crouches by him and reaches forward. "I'm sorry. Are you…?"

"Thank…thank you."

Clasping her hands over her mouth, Pauline's shoulders drop. She quickly forces herself up from the ground and pumps her fist.

"Ha! One free, four to go!" She grins and places her hands on her hips. "Problem solving at its finest! I wasn't elected mayor for nothing!"

"Wait, what?" Birdo backs away from Roy's purple fireball, and blinks at Pauline. "You're a mayor?"

"Uh…yeah!" Pauline stares back at Birdo. "…Did I not mention that?"

"No."

"Oh. Um, story for another day, cover me!"

Birdo throws another egg at Roy, who takes the hit and falls back. Electricity sparks from both the empty cage and Red Toad's cage.

"Ah, sorry Toad!" Birdo winces. "The poor thing."

Running to Red Toad's cage, Pauline stops and backpedals, as Wendy taps her wand on her palm.

"Darling, you didn't really think we'd make it easy, did you?"

"Um…I was kind of hoping that you would?"

"Sorry, but no."

Wendy whips her wand forward, casting another ring from it. Pauline fidgets and falters, watching as the ring sails at her. Watching it float down, she backs away.

The ring bounces from the ground, and Pauline ducks as it flies up, darting off just over her head.

Daisy runs in, slamming her rings together, crystallizing them. She turns back to Pauline.

"Keep going, you can get Red later!"

"Yep, figured that. Thanks though!"

Running across the room, Pauline ducks as two blue fireballs zip over her. Peach knocks Ludwig's scepter with her own, while Yoshi's tongue wraps around Larry's and pulls it from him.

"Give that back!"

Sliding to Yellow Toad's cage, Pauline scans the buttons and presses the yellow one. It opens and the Toad falls from it, flopping onto the ground.

"Are you ok?"

"I'll…live."

Yellow Toad forces himself from the ground, and turns to Purple Toad, who remains on the ground as Toadette runs around Morton, who stomps the ground as she drags her friend away.

"She…needs help."

"Yeah, no, don't exert yourself." Pauline brushes her hair back. "Wait for someone to get you away from this, and I'll go help your friends."

He opens his mouth to argue, but Pauline dashes away before he can argue, running to the nearest cage.

Quickly, she taps the button and releases Blue Toad, who crashes from his cage. He balls his hands into fists, but coughs.

"You…you won't…"

"Hey, hey, it's a friend," insists Pauline. "You're safe, for a second." She smiles as Blue Toad picks up his head. "Trust me, I'm with Peach. Uh, working with her, that is. Wow, um, know what? I've got two more of you to save, excuse me." She turns, but stops and looks back to the other cage. "Yellow, come help Blue!"

Waiting as Yellow Toad staggers over, she gasps at another green fireball flying their way.

Luigi jumps up and gets hit, falling from the fire's blast. He clutches his chest, as it sizzles from the spell.

"No, Luigi!"

"It's fine," he shouts. "Go, go!"

Hesitating only a moment, Pauline runs across the room, toward Green Toad's cage. Morton steps in front of it, blocking her path.

Another egg sails over and smashes against him. Empty cages for Blue Toad and Purple Toad light up with electricity. Morton shakes his head and watches as the empty cages finish sparking.

"Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh is right," mocks Birdo, and fires another egg at the Koopaling, knocking him back again. She winks at Pauline. "You're in the clear, Miss Mayor."

"Ha, ah, thanks."

Pauline hurries over to the cage as Birdo chases after Morton, and she smacks the button to release Green Toad. He tumbles out and shakes his head.

"How'd I—when did—who are—?"

"Just know that you're safe, and stay clear of the fight." Pauline points over to Toadette and Purple Toad. "Stay by them, and she'll keep you guys safe."

Spiraling back after the Toad nods, Pauline smirks as Yoshi punches Iggy. She then races to Red Toad's cage once more, but slows as Wendy steps in front of it.

"Hm, I think we've been through this before, huh?" Wendy rests her wand in her palm once again. "Too bad your pals are held up, huh?"

Glancing aside, Pauline winces as Daisy jumps from Larry's fireball, wand back in his hand. She turns and spots each of the Koopalings holding off her friends.

"Let's try this one again," calls Wendy, and she flicks her wand.

Pauline narrows her eyes as the next ring launches from Wendy's wand. She sprints toward it, as it bounces from the floor, and ricochets from the ceiling after.

Sidestepping as it floats to her, Pauline pauses as the ring sails away and runs at Wendy. The Koopaling growls and raises her wand, as Pauline digs out her mallet.

"You think you can beat me?" Wendy scoffs. "You're doomed, lady."

"My name is Pauline," she snaps. "Remember it."

Throwing her hammer, Wendy raises her wand to block it. As she does so, Pauline dives past her, and hammers the button to release Red Toad.

"No!"

Wendy swipes her claws at Pauline, who rolls along the ground away from the enraged Koopaling. Grumbling, Wendy pivots back to Red Toad, who rests halfway out of the cage.

"Time to take care of this," she hisses.

As Pauline forces herself from the floor, Peach darts between Wendy and the cage. She waves her scepter and knocks Wendy from her feet.

"Hang on."

Daisy throws Larry against the wall, as the vacant cages for Blue Toad and Green Toad flash with voltage.

She then pulls Red Toad from his cage, and Peach smiles as Toadette hurries over to help. Turning to Pauline, she nods and lets her shoulders drop.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure, Peach!"

"How shocking, you saved the Toads," deadpans Ludwig, as he flips his hair back from over his face. "We completely didn't plan for this."

"It doesn't matter what you planned for," announces Peach. "We're no longer holding back against any of you."

Ludwig charges at Peach, as she lifts her wand to fend off his. Pauline rolls from the two, runs to the middle, and meets Luigi and Yoshi there.

"What now?" She pants as she looks to Luigi, who exchanges a nod to Yoshi.

"We fight."

Both run at Roy, who turns as they rush to him. He stomps down and a shockwave flies forward, throwing Luigi across the arena.

"You miserable little whelp!" Pauline jumps and turns as Iggy raises his wand. "My entire plan, foiled in such sort time, in such…idiotic handling?! I won't stand for this!"

He thrusts his wand forward, and a green fireball rockets at Pauline. She yelps as it flies across the room at her.

* * *

**[Toadette versus Lemmy]**

Dodging a bouncing ball, Toadette ducks as another sails over her. She quickly jumps as the third rolls across the ground, and slows as it explodes.

"Hold still already!"

Dropping down, Toadette pivots to Lemmy, as he aims another bouncing ball at her. She glances behind her, as the Toads gather together.

"Just give in already! You can't keep them safe."

"You're wrong." Toadette turns back to Lemmy. "I had to run from you guys the last time, but that's not happening anymore."

She runs at Lemmy, who bowls another ball at her. Leaping aside as it nears her and blows up, she zips toward the Koopaling, who back-flips and points his wand to the ground.

Lemmy laughs as the spell completes, and lands onto a bigger ball, forcing Toadette to a halt.

"Nice try, puny girl!"

He lobs another bouncing ball at her, and she hops aside as it whizzes by. Groaning, Lemmy throws one against the ceiling and it bursts before Toadette, forcing her to the ground.

"Why don't you just give up, anyway?" Lemmy sits on his ball and folds his arms. "You've got to be exhausted. I can play these games all day, but you Toads are so fragile."

Toadette forces herself back up, holding in her heavy breathing. She squints at Lemmy, who tilts his head at her.

"We're not the bad guys here, you know."

"Are…are you serious?!" Toadette shakes her head. "You locked my friends in cages! You tried to fry them!"

"Technically, we did set it up and threatened it, but actually didn't carry that out ourselves." Lemmy pauses and blinks. "Ok, Iggy did, but he's a little edgy and excitable about that stuff. Honest, I wouldn't—"

"Seriously, you went along with this!" Toadette stomps the ground. "How can you possibly not think you're all evil?!"

"Sometimes good people do bad things." He raised an eyebrow. "Or do you really think yourselves above that?"

"We are!"

"Tell that to the melted snowman."

Jerking back, Toadette falters as Lemmy rises again. He rolls his ball forward, rushing toward her and throwing another bomb ball.

Spotting a stopped ball near her, Toadette jumps onto it and springs into the air, flying over Lemmy's bombs.

"Whoa, cool!" Lemmy blinks. "I-I mean, hey!"

Sailing toward him, Toadette slams down on the Koopaling's head, and launches off of him, knocking him from his perch on the bigger ball.

Lemmy slams against the ground, skidding as he crashes. He clutches his wand and lifts his head as Toadette runs at him.

"N-no way…not like this…!"

He forces himself up as she leaps up, spinning inside of his shell as she stomps down where he was.

Twisting back, Toadette watches as Lemmy spirals back toward her, and she vaults over him. Twirling back again, she watches as Lemmy emerges from his shell.

"Not bad," he admits. "But I'm not letting you end me here."

"You're not allowing anything anymore," snaps Toadette. "You're finished!"

Running at him again, she dodges another bouncing ball, and kicks from the ground. Stomping over Lemmy's head, Toadette launches off of the Koopaling and lands once more.

"Ugh…you're not right either, you know!" Lemmy shakes his head. "Peach's family, and your people…they've messed with mine one too many times!"

"There are better ways to go about restitution than this!"

Jumping up again, Toadette falls toward Lemmy, who jumps onto one of his balls. He bounces up at her, but only merits feet in his face.

Kicking off from the Koopaling, Toadette vaults from him as he crashes down, and lands opposite to him. She twists back around, and watches as Lemmy groans, turning from her before releasing his wand.

Toadette exhales and drops to the ground panting. She looks at her fellow Toads, with Yellow Toad and Green Toad clapping for her. Grinning to them, she jogs over to the five.

* * *

**[Birdo versus Morton]**

A shockwave zips across the floor as Birdo kicks her feet and flutters over the attack. She lands back down and sidesteps a pink fireball, before locking eyes with Morton.

"Just wait, I'll keep you grounded," Morton threatens. He stomps down and another shockwave rockets to Birdo, who leaps and flutters over it again. "Stay down!"

"Why are you even doing this?" Birdo touches back down to the ground. "Out of each one of these Koopalings, you seem…I don't know, sort of with it?"

"Huh?"

"Not a complete jerk. How's that?"

"None of my siblings are jerks!"

"Ok, hang on, I didn't mean—"

"This is the exact reason that I am doing this!" Morton stomps down, and Birdo jumps away from another shockwave. "I'm looking out for them, because they need me!"

"Big old bodyguard gimmick, huh?"

"More like big brother!"

Morton whips his wand, and waves it in the air. Birdo spits an egg at him as he casts his fireball, and the two attacks burst into each other, canceling out.

"You so-called heroes don't even understand familial bonds," lectures Morton. "It's something that we developed together, and something that strengthens Bowser's army! We actually care about one another!"

"Yeah, I've heard, that's neat." Birdo rolls her wrist around. "Doesn't make anything you're doing right."

"So what makes you right?!" Morton points his wand at Birdo. "Because the greater kingdom claims that you are?!"

"Well, yeah, for starters—"

"That's a load of crap!" Morton growls and whips his wand around again. "You're no heroes."

"To be fair, I've never really been a hero type," decides Birdo, and she spits an egg at Morton before he sends out a fireball, knocking him down. "Out of everyone here, I'm probably the odd one out with the whole, uh, 'bonding' experience that you're going on about." She lowers her arms. "I'm used to depending on myself foremost."

"Then what…what are you doing with Peach and the rest?" Morton pushes himself from the ground, wincing at the dent he left.

"Following an opportunity." Birdo shrugs. "I'm in this to better myself, not anyone else. Working with Peach will help me get that done."

"You'd work with that kind of a monster for monetary gain?"

"Uh, no, not that kind of reward." Birdo pauses. "Well, maybe I can add that in." She shakes her head. "Doesn't matter. I'm seeking the renown itself."

"That's it? Infamy?"

"No, infamy is what I already have."

"You'll only gain more working with Peach." Morton shakes his head. "She's only using you to her own ends. However terrible your reputation is now, it'll get worse."

"Yeah, big deal. News flash: the Koopa Kingdom has been on the losing side too many times." Birdo adjusts her bow and brings her hands back down. "I've sided with Bowser before, just as I've sided against the Mushroom Kingdom's heroes before. Guess what? Doesn't work out. Surprising, I know."

"So you're just doing this because you're gaining fame from what you think is the winning side?!"

"They  _are_  the winners," corrects Birdo. "Try as you might, you'll never beat them, beat us, darling."

"Yes, I will! We will!"

Once more, Morton stomps the ground, sending another shockwave forward. He jumps up and slams down right after, sending a larger one rushing after it.

Birdo jumps up to avoid the first, but blasts off flying from the second. She spits an egg behind her, slowing her knockback, and another down, slowing her descent.

Crashing to the floor, she forces herself back up, as Morton's giant pink fireball sails across the arena at her. Rolling forward, Birdo evades it and runs back to Morton, who raises his wand again.

Leaping over the fireball first, and then jumping again to dodge his shockwaves, Birdo flutters over and stomps down on Morton's head. She kicks away from him and touches back to the ground.

"See? Losing side. You're on it."

"Not…it's not over…not yet!" Morton stomps down, but no shockwave flies out. "Huh?"

"Out of power? Huh, shocking." Birdo chuckles. "Performance issues are known to happen to those with losing streaks—"

"They also get a little desperate," admits Morton. He then points his wand across the room, aiming at Toadette. "So tell me, you  _really_  don't care about your teammates like I do my siblings?" Birdo narrows her glare as Morton laughs, sucking in air. "That's it? You really think you don't care about the others?" He shakes his head. "Whether you want to believe it or not, we all form attachments." Morton turns and redirects his wand to Yoshi. "Some stronger than others, but to the same ends."

Inhaling faster, sharply, Birdo holds her breath for a moment. Morton pulls his wand back and rotates it around the air again.

Jumping up and forward, Birdo spits out a massive egg. Morton's eyes widen as throws his wand out, stuck as the fireball launches.

Birdo's egg rips through the magic spell and smashes into Morton, throwing him back across the room. Folding her arms, Birdo watches as Morton falls to the floor, and fails to rise against her again.

* * *

**[Luigi versus Larry]**

With his wand in hand, Larry approaches Luigi, as the plumber rises from the ground and shakes his head.

"Not so fast!"

The Koopaling's fireball rockets from his wand and into Luigi, who flies back as the magic attack connects. He gasps and clutches at his gut, writhing on the ground.

"Ha! Look at that!" Larry grins and runs over to Luigi. "The great hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, felled by the youngest Koopaling!"

Grunting, Luigi pushes himself from the floor, as Larry casts out another fireball. This time, Luigi ducks down to evade it.

"Pesky plumber…I will incinerate you!"

As Luigi rises, Larry whips his wand around. He flicks it back and forth, casting out two fireballs that bounce from the walls.

Luigi slides beneath them and swipes at Larry's feet, knocking him off-balance. Shoving off the ground, Luigi forces himself airborne, and stomps down over Larry's head.

"Ow!"

"Just let it end here," calls Luigi as he kicks from the Koopaling's head. "I don't want to fight you."

"Yeah?! W-well, I want to fight you!"

"For what?" Luigi folds his arms and tilts his head at Larry.

"Because my siblings are doing it too, ok?!"

"That doesn't make it right."

"Shut up!"

Again, Larry casts a fireball, but Luigi merely jumps over it and slams down over Larry once again.

Angry, the Koopaling tucks himself into his shell and rapidly spins it around. He launches forward and slides at Luigi, who jumps over Larry's shell. The shell spins around and makes two more attempts at Luigi, both missing.

Popping out of his shell again, Larry pants and collapses against the floor. Luigi sighs and adjusts his cap.

"Honestly, Larry, you can't win this." He shakes his head. "Come on, my brother is dating your king. We can come to some kind of peaceful resolution over this, can't we?"

"No! If…if we could, we…we wouldn't be fighting."

"Then let's stop." Luigi walks over and offers his hand to Larry, who gazes up at him. "Come on. Let's be the first to stop here."

"Would you…really just stop?"

"Yes." Luigi smiles. "I don't understand everything, but I'd rather avoid fighting if it's possible."

"…Too bad I wouldn't!"

Rolling his eyes, Luigi jerks his hand back as Larry lifts his wand. Deftly, Luigi kicks it from the Koopaling's hand.

"Ugh! You think you're tougher than me?!"

"More experienced, but—"

"But nothing!" Larry swipes a claw at Luigi, who backs away. "You don't know what it's like! Being the youngest of seven, struggling to come up with an identity against the rest of them, trying to stand out while still pleasing everyone…you wouldn't get it at all!"

"…Actually, I understand that perfectly." Luigi shrugs. "I'm not the youngest of seven, but my brother is Super Mario, the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom." He smirks. "Believe me, I know what it's like to be in a sibling's shadow, and yet still trying to please him and everyone else."

"I don't care!" Larry scratches up at Luigi again, only nicking his overall straps. "I don't care that you relate, you're only taking more from me! You're belittling all of my issues!"

"That's not what I'm trying to do," insists Luigi. "I want to help you—"

"No, you don't! You're helping Peach!" Larry tightens his fists and grits his teeth. "And if you're helping her, then you're against all of us, including me."

"Please, it's not that simple—"

"Yes it is!" Larry growls. "Just fight me!"

Frowning, Luigi dodges Larry's attacks until a punch connects with his shoulder. Larry pants and drops back to the floor.

"Just…just fight…"

"Isn't there any other way?"

"None!"

"Then…this is for your own good."

Leaping up, Luigi stomps onto Larry's head, and forces the Koopaling crashing to the floor. He moans, but then rolls away and becomes still. Luigi pauses and observes the Koopaling until he notices Larry's body rise and fall. Shaking his head, Luigi turns away from the young Koopaling.

* * *

**[Daisy versus Wendy]**

Casting a ring from her wand, Wendy fires it at Daisy, who ducks from it. The ring bounces from the wall behind them, and Daisy pivots away as it flies back at her.

"Oh, I've been waiting for this rematch." Wendy grins as she spins her wand above her, and casts another ring forward.

Both rings bounce around, knocking against the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and each other. Daisy sidesteps and dives away each time a ring soars near her.

"Do these things get faster?"

"Perhaps." Wendy giggles. "Or maybe you're just getting slower! Pack on any weight lately?"

"Really?"

"What? It's not my fault you princesses gain and lose weight at the drop of a hat."

"Sure."

Touching the ground, Daisy's Regal Rings glow as flowers burst from the wooden floorboards, a trail leading up to Wendy. Leaning over, Daisy sinks into her flowers as the rings collide with where she stood.

"Huh?!"

Wendy takes a step back, but falters as Daisy emerges from the flowers before her, and uppercuts the Koopaling. She shrieks as she stumbles back, and Wendy clutches her face.

"How the…what kind of twisted magic do you princesses even use?!" Wendy stomps her foot. "First Peach with her overpowered wand, and now you can just warp through flowers from your rings?!"

"Uh…yeah?"

"So repulsive!" Wendy shakes her fist. "Ugh, I had to actually put on those stupid cuffs like my brothers just to come up with something that would inconvenience Peach, but you two just add accessories to literally cheat at life!"

"You use your wands for the same ends," points out Daisy. "Ours are just better."

"Exactly my point!" Wendy stomps her foot again. "You princesses are so spoiled!"

"Us?"

"Yes, you!" Wendy folds her arms. "It's not like either of you have ever had to struggle to get what you wanted. And because I'm sure that you've forgotten, no, I'm not a princess myself!" Wendy huffs and twirls her necklace around a finger. "Neither of you have probably ever had to struggle in life, not like us Koopas have."

"Even if you're not royalty, you're practically close to it," intervenes Daisy. "Quit acting like Peach and I have had our lives on silver platters."

"Ha! I wouldn't be surprised if that was the literal case!"

"See, this is where you don't understand." Daisy places her hands on her hips. "Peach and I have had our own issues to deal with growing up. We were neglected at times, with busy parents as kingdom rulers. And we were tutored to have to use magic at young ages. Even now, we have public expectations to meet, people that we weren't even allowed to see when we were younger, but who know more about us than we've ever told them."

"Oh, you poor thing." Wendy scoffs. "Please! You call that a hard life? Try being the only girl with six brothers! Let me know when you've struggled with standing out in front of your parents, yet always being a disappointment to one simply because you couldn't keep up with the others. Tell me how much you were picked on if you weren't feminine enough as a child, but then picked on anyway if you came off too masculine! And—"

"You know, my friend Birdo might actually be able to help—"

"Uh,  _excuse_  you? I wasn't finished!" Wendy growls and pulls her wand up again. "Exactly proving my point, as to how spoiled you are! Not even patient enough to wait until someone else finishes speaking!"

"Sorry if I can't be polite to a huffy monster," mocks Daisy.

"Ooh! That tears it!"

Wendy twirls her wand and casts out a ring, which bounces from the floor. She sends out another, ricocheting it from the ceiling. Rapidly after, Wendy launches a third one as well, straight ahead.

Eyes darting to each attack, Daisy watches each and carefully dodges them. The rings bounce off after connecting, and consecutively fly back to Daisy, but she dives aside from them completely.

One ring sails back and bops Wendy, bursting and launching her into the wall behind her. She groans and shakes her head, bouncing up from the ground.

"No! No, I won't be defeated like this! Not again!" She grumbles and stomps her feet. "Bowser and Mario are counting on me. Rotten princess, I won't let it end here!"

"That's not up to you at all."

Blinking, Wendy glances up as Daisy stomps down over her head. Wendy wails and stumbles back, slumping over against the wall. Daisy proudly places a hand on her hip and smirks.

"Mario certainly needs help, but definitely not from the likes of you."

She waits a moment, as Wendy slides further down against the floor. Chuckling, Daisy ambles away from the fallen Koopaling.

* * *

**[Pauline versus Iggy]**

Fireball after fireball whizzes across the room, as Pauline ducks and runs from each one. She dives behind a cage as another green flame bursts against it.

"Get back out here you pest! You wretched woman!" Iggy jumps up and down, waving his wand wildly. "My careful planning so quickly undone…you make me out as a fool like this!"

"Hey, I had to save the Toads, ok?" Pauline digs in her backpack, pulling out Mini Mario. "You're the one that caged them, and I'm the one that saved them. Get over it."

"No, I refuse!"

Winding up the key, Pauline quickly turns it as she listens to the floorboards near her creaking. She holds the toy back as Iggy approaches.

"My siblings depend on my genius, my inventions, to get them out of tight situations!" Iggy roars, firing out another spell, which bursts against the ship's wall. "If they see me fail so easily and constantly, they'll never think of relying on me again!"

"Um. They're your brothers…and sister." Pauline shrugs. "They're kind of stuck with you for life. And you guys seem to have this 'hive mind' connection that has you travel in a collective pack, so, I doubt they want to mess with that."

"Haven't you ever disappointed anyone before?! It's not that simple!"

Rushing around the cage, Iggy leaps at Pauline, while her Mini Mario jumps at him and hammers him to the ground. Grabbing her toy, Pauline runs as the Koopaling pushes himself up from the floor, chasing her again.

"Your little toy won't save you forever!"

"No, but that's what buys me time!"

"Nothing, and no one, can save you, understand?!" Iggy slides his wand out. "I will end you here and now! You've driven me crazy for the last time!"

Again, Iggy wildly casts his spells around, flinging fireballs all around the room. Pauline sprints from the ones that soar near her, and skids to a halt at another cage.

Iggy slows his approach, and wickedly grins at his prey. Pauline backs up, bumping the cage and jumping from hitting it.

"Hold still, if you want it to end quicker," threatens Iggy.

"Couldn't we, I don't know, talk this out somehow?" Pauline shudders at the Koopaling's approach, and places Mini Mario back down, hands on the mallets. "There are lots of ways to handle anger issues rather than lashing out at what you mistake as the source of them."

"There is absolutely no mistake here!" Iggy adjusts his glasses and narrows his eyes on Pauline. "It's you, you've ruined me, and now I can make you pay!"

Lunging at her while casting another speedy fireball, Pauline has her Mini Mario jump up and take the blast. It crashes back down, scorched from the blow.

"Fool! What were you expecting?" Iggy cackles, and then erupts into a maniacal laugh. "That toy was your best weapon, and now it's out of commission! You might as well surrender with some kind of dignity!"

"Yeah, you might think that this gives you the advantage," relents Pauline. "But, you haven't been watching closely, have you?"

"Huh?"

"Maybe you should clean your glasses and take in the view again."

A pause fills the air as Iggy glowers at Pauline. He takes off his glasses and quickly rubs them off, before placing them back on.

"Am I supposed to be intimidated by…what, such a basic, pathetic creature like you?"

"Eh, I guess not. I'm not really intimidating, that much is true." Pauline shrugs and advances toward Iggy. "But…you're still not paying attention."

"To what?" Iggy steps around as Pauline does, rotating around the room. "What are you plotting, you…you vermin?!"

"Check my precious toy again."

Slowing their pacing, Pauline clicks her feet together as Iggy stares ahead at her fallen Mini Mario. He spots only one hammer in the toy's hand.

Sharply picking his head back up, Iggy is too late as Pauline smashes her mallet into the Koopaling's gut, and knocks him back. Running to him, she shoves him into the cage behind him.

Rapidly mashing the buttons, Pauline dives away as Iggy swipes his claws at her, but the cage snaps shut, and promptly proceeds to electrocute him. Iggy screams as the sparks flick from the cage, and Pauline punches the yellow button to release him.

With a weak gasp, Iggy pops back from the cage, flopping out from the tight fit. He collapses against the ground, and Pauline picks up her Mini Mario, while Iggy remains defeated on the floor.

* * *

**[Yoshi versus Roy]**

Splinters of wood fly up as Yoshi leaps away from Roy's fist smashing the ship's floor, missing his attack. He growls as Yoshi flutters away from him.

"So, you can create shockwaves like your brother, right?" Yoshi touches down and folds his arms. "Go ahead."

"Like you're not ready to hover over them," complains Roy. "You must not think I'm very smart, huh?"

"Well, I had hopes."

Roaring, Roy pulls his wand back, and waves it down, casting out a purple fireball. Yoshi spirals around and evades the attack.

"Twerp."

"That's your best, really?"

"Oh, like you're a bucket of kingdom's greatest insults, huh?"

"No, but—"

"Then shut it and fight!"

Again, Roy lifts his wand and lobs out a fireball. Yoshi ducks beneath it and whips his tongue out, latching onto Roy's wand.

"What the…hey!"

Roy quickly grasps at the wand with both hands, dragging it and Yoshi toward him. Yoshi, however, plants his feet and pulls back. Yanking back and forth, the two struggle against one another, neither conceding an inch.

"Just let go, you stupid little—"

"Nwo, uou wet gwo!"

"Huh?"

"Uou wet gwo oph et!"

"Ha. Didn't anyone…teach you not to…talk with your mouth full?"

"Oh, fawgeb et."

Releasing his grip, Yoshi withdraws his tongue, as Roy stumbles back. Charging, he rushes at the Koopaling, who rebounds and rushes with his shoulder.

Both connect against one another, growling and grunting as they shove against each other. Once more, neither gains ground from the standoff.

"Just what are you hoping to prove?" Yoshi shakes his head. "Both sides have people to fight for. You have your family, and I have my friends and people." He staggers back as Roy pushes, slipping on a loose floorboard, but Yoshi regains his footing. "There are better ways to resolve this!"

"Yeah, then what are they?" Roy grunts as Yoshi forces him skidding back, but spreads his legs to better balance himself. "Because I don't see you guys coming up with better alternatives than reclaiming what we took."

"If I had all of the answers, we wouldn't be fighting!" Yoshi twitches and thrashes harder. "I don't know why you guys always insist on violence!"

"Like Peach's people are any more innocent? As if!" Sliding again, Roy stomps the ground to dig his feet in, before shoving back harder. "You're not blind, and you've seen the damages she causes. She's no different from us, and we're just defending ourselves first!"

"That's…ok, you have a point," relents Yoshi. "But we're not solving anything here, especially not by taking those Toads!"

"They infiltrated our castle!"

"You've done the same countless times to Peach's!"

"And you've done it repeatedly back!"

"Not unprovoked!"

"Not that you would know of!"

"You're right, I don't!"

Both Yoshi and Roy pause, blinking at the former's sudden confession. Yoshi sighs.

"I…I don't think that anyone fighting at this point has all of the facts that we need to resolve this easily. What I know is that I can't stop because so many are depending upon me. There isn't any time to question this."

"…Yeah, same." Roy shrugs. "I know what we're doing isn't…it's not right, not even Bowser asked us to do this."

"What?"

"Uh, you didn't hear that from me."

"Then…then this is all completely…that only makes things worse!" Yoshi stomps his foot hard. "Have any of you even realized—?"

"Look, not all of us wanted to jump right into this!" Roy adjusts his sunglasses. "It's just…we have to find ways to meet a middle ground with one another. And we have to make calls on what's important. Bowser can't decide everything, just like Peach shouldn't get to." He stares at Yoshi straight through his sunglasses, lowering his arms. "Don't you get that yet?"

"…Yes." Yoshi drops his head. "I…I've gone through with things that I don't entirely agree with either. That's…that's my point too."

"So, what we've got here is an impasse, huh?" Roy scratches behind his head. "And that goes on a whole lot of levels."

"It keeps coming to that." Yoshi frowns. "How does anything get resolved? Mario and Bowser are dating from this, but I can't…and this is a blood feud between Bowser and Peach. So…and yet we're not even all of a sound mind—"

"You're thinking way too hard." Roy shrugs. "We all are."

"Then what?"

"I don't know." Roy turns and watches the others for a moment.

"…What's wrong?"

"…Did you guys kill any of the crew?" Roy folds his arms. "Be honest."

"As far as I know, I don't think so." Yoshi lifts his head again. "But what does that—?"

"Hit me."

"Wait, what?"

"Hard. Over the head."

"Why?"

"Really, I don't know." Roy shakes his head. "I don't feel…my siblings and I aren't functioning well together at all. That's what we run on." He sighs. "We're not gaining any ground from this at all. Those Toads are useless to begin with, but Peach came to save them. And the whole fortress fell, so no one claims it now." Roy drops his arms. "I don't see a point here. I know that we need to defend our people, but this is…I don't know, it feels like a waste."

"So you're giving up?"

"A battle, not the war." Roy smirks. "Maybe you're on the right path, maybe we are. But I'm letting it go to you for this one." He chuckles. "But, uh, I've got to make it look good, you know?"

"Yeah, that…yeah."

"Then what're you waiting for? An invite?" He scoffs. "You got one, come on."

Nodding, Yoshi jumps up as Roy swings his wand. Stumbling back, Roy aims for Yoshi, who kicks the Koopaling's head, knocking him back. He waits a moment as Roy flops out, and walks away after a moment.

* * *

**[Peach versus Ludwig]**

Magic sparks flash out as Peach and Ludwig fire spells at one another, twisting and flicking their wands; each takes turns launching fireballs into barriers.

Crafting a bright pink ball of ice, Peach launches it at Ludwig, who slides from it and spins into his shell. She creates another, but he dives forward and launches three blue fireballs at her. Jumping between two of the three, Peach thrusts her staff forward and fires out lightning, which Ludwig evades, knocking up only the boards from the ship.

"What happened to that big contingency plan of yours?" Peach laughs. "This isn't it, is it?"

"You'll see it, once my siblings make short work of your friends," threatens Ludwig. "But that's only if you actually survive against me!"

With a grin, Ludwig spins his wand around, and thrusts it forward. A larger blue fireball erupts from it, rocketing forward at surprising speed. Peach barely raises a barrier as it blasts her back and through the Airship's walls.

Flying out into the night air, Peach spirals around and whips her Royal Scepter about, before quickly jerking it back. A clear yellow platform materializes beneath her, and she slams down on it.

Slowly, she rises up on it, and touches it gently. The light flickers as the platform fades before returning to form.

Jumping up from it and back onto the Airship, Peach pulls herself back on board. Ludwig waves his wand around, quickly sealing the ship.

"Hmm, don't know how you survived that," notes Ludwig. "But that hardly matters, so long as I try it again."

Raising his staff, he forces Peach from the ground with his magic, blue bindings keeping her up. Whipping his wand around, he throws Peach from a window on the ship, and releases her into the open air again.

Deftly twisting it as she did before, Peach creates another platform, this one smaller than the first. She lands on it and quickly leaps off, creating another platform closer to the ship.

Hurrying to the window, Ludwig casts another fireball, as Peach jumps from her light platform and back into the Airship. She kicks Ludwig upon her return, and he slams back down.

"Gosh, I could almost do this for all night," taunts Peach. "Though, it gets old quickly. So, let's finish this."

"We're just getting started," persists Ludwig as he rises.

His wand sparks with a blue charge of lightning. Peach, however, brings her Royal Scepter behind her, securing it down the back of her shirt.

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Not meeting to any of your demands," reveals Peach. "You had a chance to settle for just me, and you would have had my cooperation. By refusing, I'm officially going against everything you want." She smiles, just slightly. "That includes beating you not as an equal with magic, but by doing it the old-fashioned way."

"You would dare—?!"

"Yes, just as you would dare to kidnap my Toads and destroy the Mountains fortress."

Growling into a roar, Ludwig forces his wand forward, casting a quartet of fireballs at Peach. She runs forward, ducks beneath one, and jumps over a second.

Stumbling back, Ludwig casts another trio of fireballs, as Peach dives between two of them, and steps closer to Ludwig.

"Y-you can't win this," Ludwig snaps. "I…I will stop you!"

"Somehow, I find that hard to believe." Peach shrugs. "Maybe it's because you've failed at every turn so far, but—"

"Silence!"

Ludwig raises his wand before jabbing it forward, and a bolt of lightning fires from it. Peach sidesteps it as it cracks down and smashes parts of ship.

Charging on, Peach jumps into the air, as Ludwig struggles to wave his wand at her. Throwing her feet forward, Peach stomps on Ludwig's head, and harshly kicks from his head, flipping away from him.

She lands as he crashes to the floor, but Ludwig is quick to scoop up his wand and aims at Peach again. He fires another bolt of lightning, but Peach dodges it and advances on him again.

"This…I won't allow it!" Ludwig pants as he aims his wand again, peering past some hair that fell in front of his eyes. "You're…you're evil."

"There's some tired expression of pots and kettles that works now."

"We're stopping you here," continues Ludwig. "You…you threaten Koopa kind…yet again. All you'll do…is see us…go extinct…and laugh."

"That's certainly not my objective," insists Peach. "It doesn't seem like you'd care to listen, though."

"No point," contends Ludwig. "You…you shouldn't…be winning."

"Now that's ridiculous." Peach folds her arms. "We both knew that I had more experience coming into this fight. What made you even think that any of this was going to help you succeed?"

"You're…not even…using magic."

"That's because you wanted it." Peach drums her fingers on her elbow. "What, were you hoping that I exhausted myself using spells before? Somewhat, I'll grant you that. But not completely, not even close."

"Yet, your team…they're not…united…"

"Haven't you taken a look?" Peach tilts her head. "You divided your Koopalings to fight us off, after having us scale the Airship and working together to reach you. Even without the trials of surviving the Mountains, we're probably in a better position of synchronization and cooperation than your family right now."

"That's…that can't be true…"

"No? Then why didn't you gather your siblings to fight together?" Peach shakes her head. "Though you all agreed on this plan, you didn't quite come to terms accepting one another's ideas, did you?" She pauses, while Ludwig remains silent. "I explained to my friends that I wasn't completely sure of myself, but that I wanted to free my Toads, that I needed them. And, in spite of everything, they assisted me to even now, and persevered throughout."

Quietly, Ludwig stares at Peach, his hands trembling. She glances behind her, as her friends all gather, watching and waiting. Ludwig staggers and raises his wand, but fumbles it as attempts to aim.

"Oh, and so you know: the more abilities you use with your magic, the stronger it is, but the harsher the toll is on you while using it." Peach nods. "I suppose it's a good thing that I'm challenging you without using my spells for a little bit."

"This isn't over…"

"Yes, it is."

Dashing to the Koopaling, Peach leaps into the air and quickly falls from it. Ludwig pulls his wand back to cast a fireball, but he misses Peach completely. She stomps down over his head, and slams Ludwig to the ground.

"Good work, Princess!"

Toadette is quick in returning to Peach's side, beaming to her princess. She turns as her Toad friends totter over as well. Luigi rubs his finger beneath his nose, while Daisy adjusts the rings on her fingers. Yoshi, Birdo, and Pauline line up behind them.

"Thank you. All of you." Peach nods. "This is…we did well." She leans down and smiles to her Toads. "You've been braver and done far more than I could have asked for. Thanks to each of you as well."

"It's our duty, Princess," maintains Yellow Toad. "Thank you for rescuing us."

"So, what happens now?" Pauline folds her arms behind her head. "We saved the day, and now…we're in a giant boat in the sky. Do we…I don't know, commandeer it?"

"And here I thought the next step was the big, ever cliché group hug," mocks Birdo.

"Are we doing anything else with the Koopalings?" Daisy studies Ludwig, and turns back to gaze at his fallen siblings around the arena. "Maybe we should kidnap them, give them a taste of their own medicine."

"That thought did cross my mind," admits Peach. "But—"

"Not…a chance."

Everyone's eyes widen as Ludwig pushes himself back up to his knees. Peach pulls out her Royal Scepter and aims it at him.

"This…isn't over."

He taps his wand, and the head of it flickers. An explosion bursts from below, and the floor crumbles beneath Peach and her friends. They fall quickly from the Airship, dropping through the sky. Pauline and Toadette shriek as everyone fumbles through their rapid descent.

"PEACH!" Daisy flails around as she turns to her friend. "PEACH, WHAT DO WE DO?!"

"I'LL TRY TO CAST A SPELL TO SLOW THIS," Peach calls over the wind.

"SLOW?! HOW ABOUT SAVING US ENTIRELY?!" Birdo covers her eyes. "OH, THIS CAN'T BE HOW WE DIE, PLEASE NO!"

Tightly gripping her scepter, Peach drags it forward and aims it. As she squints from the whipping air around her, it abruptly halts. Peach blinks and shakes her head, spotting a cyan bubble around her group.

"Wow, quick rescue, Peach!" Luigi smiles, as he floats around the bubble's space. "This is actually pretty cool."

"It would be, but…I didn't cast this."

Everyone stares at her, each shooting an inquisitive expression. Peach glances behind her, as a small, yellow, star-shaped creature with eyes pops up behind her.

"Huh? Is that…a Luma?"

"Indeed it is."

A gentle giggle rings out around them. Jumping and directing their attention upward, Peach and her allies gaze in awe at a light blonde haired woman in a turquoise blue dress floats above them, carried by a crowd of multi-colored Lumas. She smiles as she waves her wand, its star-shaped head glowing.

"It's…Rosalina," manages Luigi.

"Hello again," echoes Rosalina's voice. "You seem to have quite an ordeal going on. Shall we return to your castle, Princess Peach?"

"Ah, yes. Please."

Rosalina nods to the Lumas nearest to her, and they lead a cheer that rings out among the whole group. They sail from the sky, floating downward, as Rosalina carries Peach and the others in her magic bubble. They look back to the Airship, as it looms in the sky, and gaze upon the barren Mountains as they depart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I've been waiting for Rosalina to grace this story for so long…! Oh, and to conclude this segment of the story too.
> 
> Yes, it probably could have been split into two chapters, so I do apologize for that now. But, I billed this repeatedly as the closing arc, and I wanted to stick to that, so there, I did. (Plus, it's been a while, and I'm due on words.)
> 
> Capturing the Airship's moments in just a battle between Peach and the Koopalings seemed too small, and I didn't want that to be the only part of the chapter. So, I had the moments of actually scaling the vessel leading up to that. It's hard to contain the different challenges from the games and condense it for just one chapter! Plus, I got to utilize some new enemies, including the Bill Blasters, Burners, and Mechakoopas! And perilous heights for fun moments! Poor Daisy, ha.
> 
> Anyway, it was nice utilizing Pauline here some more, and I couldn't resist giving her the chance to free the Toads. The Koopalings could anticipate Peach, Luigi, and the rest down to Toadette…but certainly not someone as plain as Pauline. Oh, and yes, I absolutely had to include that bit on her being a Mayor, because Odyssey will be featuring her as such. I wager Birdo would be the one more out of the loop on Pauline's role, hence the interaction.
> 
> Having the Koopalings square off against Peach and the others after twenty chapters seemed like a good way to callback the last format that they used. It was between that and having them cooperate, but as it's explained in the story, both sides aren't completely together, with the Koopalings more fractured than usual, leading to their loss. Still, it's fun to give them some moral high ground, even in spite of their kidnapping of the Toads; they did think they were doing the right thing, or at least, tried to convince themselves that they had! It was also good to not have Peach use magic to win her fight, as it truly proves that she can go toe-to-toe with the tougher baddies and still prevail.
> 
> Anyway, this chapter has certainly been long enough, so that's about all from me, besides the usual closing remarks. While I've been away, though, this story has grown a hefty support on the archives! More hits, more kudos, more bookmarks…it's great! A very big thank you to all of my readers and supporters!
> 
> Nevertheless, feedback is very greatly appreciated still, as it helps me improve and lets me know that folks are still enjoying the story. So, I hope to hear back from you guys again! Comments, criticisms, and questions are appreciated and welcomed, so if you can, please do.
> 
> Hmm, let's see…very notable boyfriends have been missing in action for quite some time. Next chapter, though? They'll be back! But, I wonder how that'll work out now, considering all that's happened. Once more, thank you for your continued patience, all your support, and for reading this story so far! More is under development, so look forward to that.
> 
> And until then? Super Mario Odyssey has some very distinguished amiibo of Bowser and Mario in wedding tuxedos, if you haven't seen those already, so check those out! As well as the lovely fan art and posts that followed with their reveal…Bowsario shipping is still at large and finally taking some charge! Oh, and don't forget: Pauline's very exciting return to the Mario series canon, a first since Donkey Kong days! (She's been stuck in spin-offs until now.) So, do enjoy the latest on that as well! We'll see if I can continue seeping some elements of it into the fanfic, but that's a big maybe. Certainly seems fun though! Anyway, enjoy the rest of your day, take care!


	40. A Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise, or lack thereof, as Bowser and Mario return to Bowser's Castle. Perhaps the real twist is before, or perhaps it's from the way events unfold...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, it's been far too long. A new Super Mario game came out and everything! (No, I wasn't waiting, shut up. I don't have the latest console anyway.)
> 
> Anyway, in spite of everyone knowing about Super Mario Odyssey, no, I'm not going to be including spoilers relating to it just yet. A quick reference was tossed in about Pauline's new role before, and I have one more, obvious and tacked on reference to it. And yes, I do know how it ends. But, for now, the game is less than a month old, as of writing, so no spoilers for this chapter. No promises going forward, since…well, I don't think it'll take everyone that long to learn.
> 
> But, enough on that! We're here for a return to Bowsario goodness, and I've babbled on enough. Enjoy the trip back to Bowser's!

The Airship floated away from Mountains, smoldering from the assault it suffered. Coming to the deck, the Koopalings trudged out and watched as the ship sailed, searching the night skies. Soldiers quickly spread apart and cleared space for the Koopalings.

"Pretty sure that Peach could just magic them all away," finally suggested Larry. "I mean, we could check the grounds below, but I think we all know how that would end."

"So, it's official that we failed outright then," muttered Iggy, adjusting his cracked glasses.

"Not quite," contested Ludwig. "That's not entirely—"

"My devices failed, Ludwig's plans went entirely awry, the Princess still lives, and we lost an entire fortress by our own actions." Iggy sighed and knelt down, picking up the jaw and wind-up key from a destroyed Mechakoopa. "Oh, and we lost troops once more, a complete shock."

"Yeah, Ludwig," chimed in Lemmy, "what part of this didn't fail?"

"Well, if we take it from a reconnaissance route—"

"Are you serious?" Wendy dragged her claw over her face. "We lost, Ludwig! Get over your pride and admit it. This isn't the first time."

"Fine, if you want to sulk about losing and feel we gained nothing, feel free." Ludwig folded his arms. "It'll benefit us in the long run."

"If you're thinking that, sure." Roy adjusted his sunglasses. "Don't see much need for squabbling about any of this regardless."

"Roy's right, we shouldn't be arguing," insisted Morton, resting his hands on Ludwig and Wendy's shoulders. "We had an inkling that we wouldn't win this one."

"More like we completely called it," grumbled Wendy.

"But we went through with it anyway," continued Morton. "Point is, none of our crewmembers died, not counting the destroyed Mechakoopas."

"They completely count!" Iggy flopped down, picking at more mechanical pieces. "We spend a lot of time manufacturing these, you know!"

"Plus we can't exactly account for the troops in the fortress," pointed out Lemmy. "Which is…pretty much all on us…"

"We're at war, sacrifices are inevitable," contended Ludwig. "We warned them of the risks, I'm sure they were aware."

"That doesn't—"

"Nothing makes it right." Ludwig gripped his hair. "We just need to make it count, when everything ends."

"Ok, we really screwed up royally," returned Roy. "Like Wendy brought up, not our first time. And like Morton's trying to point out, we're all still together. Foremost, that matters most." His siblings slowly nodded. "Good. So, uh…we'll work on what we report to King Bowser after this."

"You sure he won't kill us over this?" Larry picked at one of the masts. "Soldiers, you've been awfully quiet."

"We, um, we're s-sorry we failed," apologized a red-shelled Koopa. "P-Peach and her f-friends shouldn't have, ah, go-gotten past us."

"Why not? They do every time," mumbled Larry.

"There's no use in dwelling on it," announced Morton. "King Bowser can punish us as he sees fit when we get back to the castle. We made an effort to help him, that's what we went on coming here."

"At least we didn't let them totally reclaim the fortress," added Wendy. "Even if we did lose it."

"True." Morton nodded. "So, I want the whole crew to work on fixing up this ship any way that we can. We'll have Rocky Wrenches patch the full Airship up once we get back home."

"See, the problem there is that you think you're going home."

Morton blinked and surveyed the troops. They gazed around at one another, attempting to find which had spoken up.

"Not very bright, are you, Koopas?"

"Wait, that's coming from above," noticed Lemmy, and pointed at a figure in a crow's nest.

"Really? The clown child?"

"Hey, I'm not—"

"Hush up," warned Ludwig. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

"Me? I'm here on behalf of the Mushroom Kingdom."

Dropping down to a lower part of the mast, the Koopalings and their troops glared at a Toad in long green robes with gold trimmings. He smirked as he tugged on his dark mustache.

"Oh, what a pity," taunted Ludwig. "Sadly, your princess is in another vessel."

"Perfect." The Toad chuckled. "She has no idea that I'm even here, or what I'm here to do."

"Well, Chuckles, don't hold out," snapped Wendy. "Just what are you here to do?"

"Simply returning the favors you pests deliver to us," he murmured.

"Right, sure." Ludwig pointed up at the Toad. "All troops: do whatever it takes to bring that scum down."

Laughing, the Toad reached into his vest and pulled out a thin, wooden wand. He waved it in front of him, and flicked it out after. A small light flashed from it, and a heavy burst sounded below deck.

"What was that?!" Iggy wildly looked about.

"That would be this ship, now plummeting from the sky," called the Toad, and true to his word, the ship immediately began falling.

"H-how did you…?!"

"Did you really think that the Princess was our only source of magic?" The Toad shook his head. "Goodness, not even close. Now, I have no real use for common soldiers, but the seven Koopalings? That can be useful."

"Quick," called Larry, raising his wand. "We have to stop him!"

While the other Koopalings quickly pulled out their scepters, the Toad's movements were faster still, tapping and pointing at each one with his wand. Waving it around and pointing it skyward, green clouds whipped around each Koopaling and himself, flushing them out in a cloud of smoke before the eight disappeared.

Shouting and scrambling, the remaining soldiers struggled to establish a chain of command as the Airship continued to fall from the skies.

* * *

**[Bowser]**

It was over much too soon for me.

My castle came into view ahead of us, as Kamek and Mini-Kamek shouted about reaching home and getting us closer to it. I nodded to them, and grumbled when they returned their attention forward.

Mario rested between my side and the prototype Clown Car; he slept even while the other two shouted. We had spent a good amount of time chatting as we traveled back from Star Hill, but his exhaustion caught up before I could pester him for more than some fleeting deep kisses.

Leaning against the edge of the Clown Car, I propped my head up with one hand and tapped on the rim with the other. Mario yawned behind me, and I glanced back to see him stretch and rise.

"Morning…wait, are we back already?" He scratched by his ear as I nodded. "Huh. That wasn't too long of a flight." It took forever.

"Nah, that was nothing." Clamping my mouth closed, I poorly stifled a yawn. "It was nice spending time away from—"

"Your son."

"What?" I shook my head. "He's the one that I missed the most."

"No, I mean, look."

With a blink, I followed Mario's arm, which pointed up to the top of the castle. Junior waved from the roof, and I jumped up, shaking the Clown Car around.

"Junior!"

"Lord Bowser, please!"

Clenching my teeth, I glanced down as Kamek struggled with his wand. Junior laughed and hopped down to the landing, out of sight.

Sailing down, Kamek landed us down below by the castle gates. Scooping up Mario, I tried to jump out of the Clown Car quickly, but he shouted and I tipped over, dragging it down and crashing out of it instead.

"Sire, do try to contain yourself," called Kamek. I heard his cackling and rolled my eyes.

"Are you ok, Mario?"

"Soft landing helped." He patted my shoulder and arm, chuckling. "What about you?"

"Come on, I've fallen a lot harder than this." That didn't really make it hurt less.

"Toady, clear up the prototype Clown Car." Kamek pointed it to his mini partner as I pulled myself from it. "Put it back in storage and then resume your duties."

"Y-yes, Master Kamek."

Hopping off from me, Mario walked around as I pushed myself to my knees. He held out his hand and I grabbed it, using him to steady myself as I stood back up. Rubbing my chin, I patted my jaw and nodded to Mario, and we walked into the castle.

"Junior?" I passed statues of myself and stood along the carpet of the main hall. "Son, are you here yet?"

"Your castle's a little more difficult to navigate than that," teased Mario.

"Not for him, he'd tear right through this place." I smirked to him. "You usually tear it up, but I don't think that—"

"Well, well." An icy tone cut in, and I winced. Turning back around, I spotted a red-shelled Koopa step forward. "Lord Bowser finally returns. Welcome back."

"Thanks."

"Still dragging Mario around, then?"

"Yeah." I shrugged. "In fact, I think we like each other even more now. What do you think, Mario? Vacation help out, or—?"

"You would honestly joke about this?!" A Goomba rushed out and bounced up and down. "After the whole time that you were away, nothing changed, and you think that you can just come back in here—"

"We were away for important—"

"Hey! Don't cut me off!"

"Did you forget who the king is here?!" My temper skyrocketed. "You will respect me, regardless of whether of not you agree with my motives!"

"Terribly sorry, your wretchedness," taunted a new voice, as a green robed Magikoopa stepped from behind the Koopa. "We don't feel very respectful."

"Are none of you tired of disobeying our orders?" Kamek stepped forward, his wand lifted again. "I was hoping at least Magikoopa dissenters would be quelled over time."

"Not all of us are Bowser's loyal pets."

"True, and yet those closest to the king tend to have the better manners." Sparks crackled from his scepter. "Would you care to oppose me, here and now?"

"That's what we're doing."

They both walked forward to meet one another, but a fireball sailed past Kamek and blasted in front of the Magikoopa. He fell back and crawled away, grasping for his dropped wand. Mario walked forward and flexed his wrist around, fixing his glove.

"W-wait, what gives?" The Goomba stumbled back. "He grabbed a Fire Flower before coming here?"

"That doesn't make sense," noted the Koopa. "His clothes turn white and red." He shrugged. "Then again, not always. Laki?"

Sailing down, a Lakitu raised a Spiny Egg and aimed at Mario. Fire rose in my throat, but Mario lifted his hands, rotating them and twisting a small space of air before him. He narrowed his gaze on the Lakitu, and I watched as winds whirled up around him.

"H-hey, what gives?!"

"Ok, I know Mario shouldn't be able to use wind and air magic!" The Goomba wailed. "They got him new powers!"

"You act like we can't handle magic," snapped the Koopa. "And Mario himself is easy. Fuzz."

Something light bounced from my head and I growled. A black Fuzzy bounced down and hopped up against Mario.

"Like slurping Koopa lips?" The Fuzzy cackled. "I'll give you a real suck!"

He opened his mouth to bite down, but a fireball blasted him from Mario entirely.

My eyes widened, and I turned as a Fire Bro. hopped down from the eastern stairwell. He stomped the ground and leered at the dissenters. Another came from the top, stopping midway down the steps.

"Honestly, folks, I consider that a really bad move," he called to them. "Treason tends to fail, even with bigger groups than you lot."

"Pyro, you and your asinine brother are the real traitors here!" The Koopa stepped up as the Fuzzy bounced back behind him. "You and those other losers are put up to be executed, and instead of condemning Bowser, you all start fawning over him!"

"Gosh, they seem mad, bro," called Pyre. "Guess they wanted us to not get back in our king's good graces."

"Fools!" Once more, the Goomba bounced around. "You're both undeniably fools!"

"Actually, they chose wisely." Hexes soared out and encircled each of the dissenters. Kamek pulled back on his wand, tightening the spells around them. "The rest of you? Not so much."

"Doesn't matter…we'll still have a tiny edge!"

"Doubtfully anything useful."

Kamek snapped his fingers and waved the rod, with the opposition disappearing in a flash from each hex.

The Fire Bros. smirked and nodded to one another. They glanced back to us and hesitated before awkwardly waving.

"Thank you." I blinked and shook my head. "Have either of you seen Junior?"

"The Prince?"

"No, Sire."

"…Hell." I grasped the top of my head and thought for a moment. "Ok, the fastest route would be…western stairwell."

Charging off past a dim series of torches over some shelves and pottery, I raced up the stairs and from the hall. Mario called and hurried behind me, but I couldn't stop just yet.

Punching open the door, I stormed across the corridor and hurried past a bewildered Snifit. Second door, third…sixth, that one.

As I slammed the door open, I spotted Junior hurrying over, and he faltered. A Paratroopa swooped at him, and the fire poured from my mouth.

She fell, however, and crashed on her green shell. The feathers dissipated, as a hammer slammed beside her. Rolling around, she backed away, with a Hammer Bro. aiming at her again.

"You can't stop this, Sledge! This little prince will be—"

Another hex ensnared her and quickly vanished before us. Kamek flew past me on his broom and heaved, dropping from it and slipping from his feet to the ground.

"Boy, if you…" Kamek panted and inhaled deeply. "Don't…run like that…again."

"Papa! Mario!"

Junior hurried over and leapt at me. I laughed and caught him, locking him tightly in my arms. I looked past him at Sledge, who nodded and turned away.

"Ren, Bill, Garen, we're good." He waved and I spotted the three Koopas from further away, who waved and disappeared behind a door further down. Sledge turned back to me. "Our apologies on behalf of that one, milord."

"That's not on you. But thank you for aiding my son."

"He is our Prince." Sledge smirked. "It's our duty."

He nodded and walked down the hall where his companions were, as Mario touched my arm and smiled up to me. I sighed, hugged my son again, and lowered Junior back to the ground.

"Son, I'm so sorry—"

"Papa, you just told the soldier the same thing: you don't need to apologize for the bad soldiers." He shook his head and smiled. "Besides, I'm ok!"

"It's not only about that though," I continued. "I left you for longer than I wanted to, and it's not the first time, but this was definitely not my best—"

"Papa." Junior folded his arms. "That was for Mario."

"Yeah, but—"

"I'm not a baby, Papa. I can handle myself." He paused and scratched over his head. "…Well, besides what just happened with that soldier, but—"

"That's exactly what I was worried about!"

"But I'm still fine!" Junior put up another smile for me. "That was the only real time anything bad happened! And the Toadies warned those guys to help protect me, so that wasn't really bad. Everything else was ok."

"What about the Koopalings?"

"Oh yeah, that too." Junior tugged on his scarf. "Papa, they've caused a lot of trouble!" He waved his hands around for emphasis. "There were a bunch of Toads that invaded the castle and the Koopalings knocked them out and kept them as prisoners!"

"Ok, Junior, son—"

"But wait, Papa, they also took off to the Mountains to try fighting Peach!"

"We heard about that—"

"They could be causing real trouble—"

"Junior, son, please." I rested my hand on his head, and he quieted himself. "The Koopalings have misbehaved and took off to cause more mischief than they can handle, I understand. Not the first time either, but—"

"Wait, wait, 'mischief?'" I flinched at Mario's annoyed tone. "They went off with my Toad friends as  _hostages_ , Bowser." He dragged a hand under his cap and over his face. "Last time a Toad was here, I ruined our relationship to prevent him from being that, or worse!"

"Don't remind me," I grumbled.

"How can I not?! They did exactly what I wanted to avoid!" Mario clutched back at his temples. "And they went off to fight Peach to boot." He shook his head. "I mean, granted, we already knew that, but please, don't treat it so lightly."

"All right, I apologize." I rubbed his back and smiled to him. "They're still young as well, Mario. Scary and nasty, but young too."

"Yes, I understand." He held my hand against him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"Nah, you had every right." I grunted and tapped on my shoulder. "This definitely won't go over well with Peach, though."

"By now, they've already fought." Mario tugged on his mustache. "And you wager that the Koopalings—"

"Lost, more than likely." I shrugged. "They might have done some damage, but I'm positive that they didn't have this entirely worked out."

"Then we have only one fortress remaining." We perked up and turned to Kamek, who darkly gazed into his wand's head. "Only the Skylines remain, and then Peach will likely storm this castle after winning it back."

"Yeah, that's pretty much inevitable by this point." I dragged my claw through my hair. "Doesn't matter, we'll figure out how to deal with her and Mario's friends when they get here. The Skylines aren't that important by this point."

"If they're capable of getting it fully operational, that gives them an exceedingly favorable vantage point over the Mushroom Kingdom, and especially so here," reminded Kamek. "There's a reason we have to plan more carefully with the fortress up there than anywhere else."

"Ok, so, we'll line up some extra forces to guard it and get someone strong to safeguard it for as long as possible," I determined. "Kamek, the important thing right now is handling the Koopalings once they get back here. Either I need to punish them, or at least come up with better plans to keep them in line."

"We can worry about that once they return," argued Kamek. "Lord Bowser, I do implore you to—"

"Great King Bowser!"

Everyone turned around as a Koopatrol hurried from the main hall and over to us. He halted and saluted me, then bowed and knelt down.

"Pardon my intrusion tenfold, milord—"

"Don't worry about it, soldier," I insisted. "You came in a panic, what is it?"

"Out by the courtyard, sire, there's a heavy outbreak of the forces."

"Blast it to bits, already?" I shook my head. "We just dealt with dissenters attacking me."

"You were attacked by them?!" The Koopatrol hung his head. "My most sincere apologies for failing you, milord. The Koopatrol should be better at guarding—"

"Priority for most of you would be the castle itself, not me." I folded my arms. "My soldiers are my responsibility, whether they're attacking my son, Mario, Kamek, or myself." I nodded. "And that most certainly includes dealing with them causing a ruckus outside."

"Shall I assist you in crowd controls, sire?"

"That won't be necessary." I rested my hand on his shoulder. "I need you back by your post, and alert me if anything else breaks out around the castle."

"Of course, milord."

Saluting again, he pivoted around and hurried back from the corridors to his post. I spun around to Kamek and walked up to him.

"W-what are you doing?"

"We need to get up high so I can yell at my soldiers." I scooped Kamek up from the ground. "You're too slow to handle more running around, so we'll do it like this."

"Hey! Put me down!" Kamek wriggled against my grip, but his thrashing was nothing for me. Peach has been far worse than what he attempted. "Boy, you will drop me this instant, or so help me—"

"Can it, you old fart!" I bumped him up and over my shoulder. "That's no way to talk to your king. Didn't you just scold those louts earlier for it?"

"That's different! They're not me!"

"Too bad."

Reaching down, I plucked up Junior with my other hand. He clapped and climbed onto my shoulder. Grinning, I picked up Mario as well, and placed him on the opposite shoulder.

"Bowser, I'm fine with running, you know," he offered.

"No way." I laughed. "I'm not carrying these two and not you. Just you and Junior hold on tight, all right? I'm going to try moving quick again."

"But you're not always that fast—"

Starting with a jump, I chuckled at Mario and Kamek's yelps, and then charged off, with Junior laughing as I ran off. Running this much would definitely bite me back later, but it had been a while, so I wanted to enjoy it.

Passing through the door, hurrying up the staircase around the corner, and zipping along the next hall, Mario and Kamek wailed as I raced onward, with Junior's cheers motivating me to keep it up. I sped around a corner, and leapt over two Shy Guys that carried a supply of spears.

Still, I blazed past a few portraits of my family and jumped past a small set of stairs, bustling around another corner and running past a few windows. I slowed as I rounded the last corner and spotted the courtyard, and panted as I came to a stop before the doors for the balcony.

"If you don't unhand me this instant—" Kamek cried out as I dropped him from my hand, and he crashed on the floor. "…You're despicable."

"Tell me…something new," I managed.

"Whoo! That was great, Papa!" Junior bounced from my shoulder and down my arm, landing back on the ground. "You haven't run around like that in ages!"

"For…good reason…son…"

"Mama mia," was all Mario could manage. I plucked him from atop my shoulder and kissed his cheek as I plopped him back down.

"Some stamina…huh?"

"Yeah!" Junior clapped excitedly. "Can we do that again soon? Can we, Papa, please?"

"Uh…I'll…I'll think about it." I sucked in some air, and slowly released it, as my heart hammered against my chest. "Gotta…get outside…"

"Why not try breathing first?" Kamek threw his hands up, still collapsed on the ground. "Maybe actually consider some words you want to use before going out and watching the chaos unfold?"

"…Maybe, yeah…good idea," I managed.

"Exactly what are those fools fighting about now?" Kamek pushed himself up now. "You would think that they'd be tired of quarrelling about all of this."

"He's the leader of their kingdom," Mario adjusted his hat and turned to Kamek. "They'll always argue about him, his decisions, and their needs, desires. That's what the citizens do."

"Are the Toads usually this out of control?"

"Uh—"

"Of course not." Kamek shook his head. "Quiet, controlled little…hm. Let's not get into that." He tapped his wand on his palm. "Now, what to do with them out there…?"

"What do you mean?"

"We first need to figure out what they're arguing about exactly," instructed Kamek. "Find the source of the outbursts, and then deal out the discipline accordingly."

"Or, we could actually try to hear out both sides and then reason with those opposed," debated Mario. "Instead of punishing others for a different opinion?"

"That's…not exactly how we get the Koopa Troop to fall in line."

"Maybe you need to change your strategies and politics, then?" Mario turned to me. "Bowser, this is your kingdom. But I like to think that you can still come up with different ways to run it, even now."

"Mario, I don't know…"

"It's not weakness to hear out everyone," he reassessed. "They might not have anything good to tell you at all, or no right to complain. They might bring up cruel things about me. But they should still be able to speak their minds."

Stars above, I never try anything like that; Koopas have a far different temperament to them than Toads. But I stared into his deep blue eyes, and he returned a steady gaze. And he's even smiling to me, damn him. Why does that always…?

"Ok, I'll…listen, to some of it," I relented. "But, I'm not letting them get away with insulting you or any threats. I won't tolerate that."

His shoulders dropped as he nodded, but he still smiled, ever focused on me. Unwavering, even with that? Maybe he's relieved that I'm adamant about defending him. I'm not sure, but I smirked back to him.

And with that, I ventured outside and onto the balcony above the courtyard.

Below, I surveyed the two opposing sides: Bob-ombs, Rexes, some Koopa and Goomba forces, Snifits, and a few Shy Guys were gathered together on one side. A smaller but louder group stood across from them, consisting of mostly Goombas, but also a few Koopa troops, Boos, and a few Lakitu folks. One Goomba from the smaller side bounced forward.

"The evidence is literally right over there!" He jumped up and down. "Bowser literally came back with just that Clown Car!"

"It was clearly a risk going out there," defended a Rex. She itched her cheek a bit. "Those that went knew they would be facing risks, and that's why it was a smaller faction."

"They were a solid group of strong soldiers, all the more reason why they all should've returned," snapped a Koopa. "Do you see that xebec that left? I don't."

"It's no better than the forces that the Koopalings took," countered a Bob-omb, as he marched forward. "They took even more soldiers off on the Airship."

"To fight Princess Peach," argued a Lakitu. "That's actually a worthwhile cause! It wasn't to take Mario on a romantic mountain getaway!"

"That's not why they left," contended a Snifit. "It was because of some curse."

"On Mario!"

"And do we know if it was spreading?"

"Who cares?! He had to go for Mario's sake!"

"Exactly what's wrong with that, anyway?"

"He's our enemy!"

"Clearly not lately," called out another Rex, and he hopped up. "We haven't lost any soldiers around here, in spite of Mario roaming."

"Peach has had such liberties in the past!"

"Uh, not to the same extent, no."

"Yes she has!"

"Again, and regardless, he still hasn't done anything terrible lately."

"So what, we just wait around until Peach's forces rescue him, and then he betrays us all?" Another Lakitu flew forward. "I'm not waiting around for Mario to suddenly go around and try to kill us all!"

"Relax, he's not a murderer."

"Are you serious?!"

"Technically, he's not. He doesn't go around killing us at random; we attack first."

"Does that suddenly excuse him?!" A Koopa shook her head. "We're not even addressing the fact that he still didn't bring soldiers back home. Our people."

"Well, why don't we just ask him about it?"

My fist tightened as a Goomba suggested that, and with some dying chatter, everyone turned toward the castle, the balcony, to me. A large sum of the faces dropped from anger into horror, as they waited below me.

Glancing back, I spied Mario and Junior smiling and raising their thumbs, while Kamek shook his head. He stepped forward with his wand out, and I took it from him. I sighed and turned back to the crowds, and stepped forward.

"All right, listen up," I commanded, the wand amplifying my voice like a microphone. Hesitating, I watched as spectators below flinched, and my shoulders tensed. "Uh…back out there, on Star Hill, it, um…a lot happened."

"Considering the lack of the ship, we should hope so!" The Koopa clamped her hands over her mouth, staring up at me with widened eyes.

"The xebec, ship, I left it behind for the others," I explained, fists still tightened. "It's for them to use to get back home."

"So you really left them there?!" A Goomba jumped up and down. "Why would you do that?!"

"They chose to stay," I continued. "They wanted to keep, uh, looking for answers—"

"To what?!"

"Can you not interrupt him?" A Snifit stepped forward and shook her head. "Wait a minute as he explains."

"Oh, don't act like you were supportive from the beginning," snapped a Lakitu. "Your group didn't even understand the fighting to begin with."

"Now we're making it about how each of his forces sided," questioned a Rex, "as opposed to the individual?"

"Weren't your kind not originally on Bowser's side at all?"

"We've been loyal—"

"Oho, not to this kingdom as years have gone by," argued a Boo. "We've fought plenty of wars with no Rexes to speak of, or inflate up thereafter."

"With this kind of squabbling, it's amazing that you get anything done—"

"Excuse you?!" The Lakitu flew up again. "What right do you even have to mock us?!"

"Same as you have to question the king himself, clearly," jibed a Bob-omb.

"What do you care?" A Koopa rolled his eyes. "You're just a tool and weapon to be exploited—"

"Hey, that's enough!" My roar cut over them, and everyone stopped at once. "You're here to question me, and I'll allow that much. But you are not insulting one another's livelihoods, got it?!" I stomped forward. "Bob-ombs are more than just weapons. Rexes are a smaller and less common species. Goombas are small, but give literally everything they have. Lakitu offer vantages and new perspectives." I pointed out over them. "We all have uses for this army, and I don't care who's arguing against what. You will respect one another, even better than I can ever respect any of you. Is that clear?" No one responded. "Good."

After a moment, a Goomba asked, "Just what brought you back, anyway?"

"As you're already aware, the Koopalings, after they left the castle." I surmised. "That is, my son informed me, and I made my way back upon their departure."

"So, with Mario, and without your actual soldiers."

"Again, that was their decision," I reiterated. "They were looking to investigate Star Hill further for—"

"Why does that even matter, hmm?" A Boo floated up a bit over the crowd. "Aren't you the king? Couldn't you have forced your forces back home?"

"Uh…well, on my behalf, they wanted—"

"Who cares what they wanted? They were strong and loyal soldiers," complained a Koopa. "They did their work out there with you, and they should have returned home with you immediately. Not that…" the Koopa paused. "Not just Mario!"

"Kamek—"

"Doesn't count, come on!"

"Look, I couldn't just—they were deciding for our best interests—"

"Certainly not the greater kingdom's," argued a Lakitu. "And clearly not their own! You should have been above that choice and made them come back!"

My hands shuddered and my heart hammered. Though I opened my mouth as I scanned over them, I couldn't muster any more for them. It wasn't even just the soldiers; Mario helped make that decision in the end, and now they questioned it.

"That's…it wasn't easy—"

"Somehow, though, you sound unsure," called another Koopa.

"Listen, decisions like this aren't easily—"

"None of them are supposed to be!"

"Will you just let him finish for once?!"

"If we can't speak our minds—"

"Your king literally just let you!"

"Ha, yeah, sure he did."

"Come on, will you just listen to reason?"

"When the reasons are good, sure."

"Lord Bowser."

Blinking, I turned around and spotted the Koopatrol between Mario and Kamek. Junior watched as he slipped past them and made his way to me, bowing.

"You again?" I shook my head. "Speak, soldier."

"Sire, it's the Airship." He stood back up at attention. "It's been shot from the sky and crashed on its return journey."

"What?!"

"Its crew sent the report to us that they were attacked by Peach and her allies—"

"Oh." I huffed. "That's not really a surprise, then. Of course she'd down the whole ship."

"Milord, though the Koopalings lost to Princess Peach and her forces, they hadn't lost the ship upon ejecting the enemy."

"Wait, what?"

"Another of Peach's forces had unexpectedly appeared, and used magic to ensnare, then kidnap the Koopalings, and then struck the Airship itself from the skies." His head fell. "It's devastated, along with the majority of its crew. Those that managed to withstand the crash, few as they were, sent word to us, and are searching for the Koopalings, but have failed to locate them thus far."

"But…that's not…possible," I pieced together. "They…I mean, they're reckless, but…I didn't…she wouldn't have, she never…" I blinked and faltered. "They're…just kids."

"A little older, sire, but we have attacked their kingdom before, regardless of the potential—"

"Right, but I've never went out of my way to…I mean, I've done that before, kidnapped kids, but I'd never actually, I know my limits…but she…Peach's never…"

"…Sir?"

"…She really isn't different from her ancestors…"

"Hell hath no fury?"

"No, hell doesn't unleash its fury until the Koopas march." I shook my head, and stared at the wand in my hand. Turning, I gazed out at the crowd, and they silently stared back up at me. "…You know what? Honestly, I don't have time for this. For all of you who still hate me, great, go ahead. There are plenty of small settlements that are happy to live under Peach's reign. The troops that are back on Star Hill chose to stay, for my sake, and for this kingdom's sake. We don't understand what's happening there, which is what they're looking into. And that's all I'm adding." Shrugging, I lowered the wand a bit. "I don't have time for this. All I know is that I need to go get the Koopalings."

And I turned away from the crowds, marching back inside. I didn't stay for the parties that erupted into applause and cheered my name. There wasn't another fight from my army that I wanted to interrupt.

Passing the wand back to Kamek, he opened his mouth, but slowly closed it again. Junior hugged Mario, who frowned to me. His eyes calmed me, but it didn't change anything.

Peach was truly playing at my level now.

* * *

**[Mario]**

Bowser had dropped me off at his room before taking off to the Throne Room. He refused to debate the matter with me, though I didn't push it much, not yet.

There isn't a time that I readily recall Peach kidnapping anyone, and I don't remember her extorting before either. That's not who my friend is, and I know her better than almost anyone.

Rolling the tiny Crystal Ball in my hands, I stared down quietly at it, gripping the bed quilt tightly. Merlon had given it to me so we could stay in touch, but I hadn't asked him how to use it.

Once the ball settled in one hand, I reached over it with my other hand, and waved it over the top. Nothing. Rotating my wrist and moving first my index finger out and in, then the little, and then my thumb, I waited until my hand lit up. Again, I waved it over the Crystal Ball, and this time, it lit up.

"Merlon?" I blinked and stared at the ball. "Merlon, can you hear me?"

"Ah, Mario!" His voice sounded as the Crystal Ball's mesmerizing blue aura swirled inside it. "Just a moment, let me just get this out."

In the swirl of the orb, Merlon's image appeared, along with some faint image of his room. Books lined shelves behind him, and he curled his ivory mustache around. He gazed quietly forward, at me.

"Truth be told, I didn't expect you to call me so soon after departing, but…" He squinted a bit, and blinked before his eyes widened. "…When I told you that I would offer my services to assist you," he started, "I didn't honestly expect you needed much help…there."

"Huh?"

"No need to be coy about it," insisted Merlon. "Listen, I know that Bowser is rather large, but I do know some spells that could help—"

"Wait, Merlon, what are you talking about?!"

"You're calling me from Bowser's room while you're alone for the moment," he assessed. "I think we both know—"

"Stars above, Merlon, no!" I smacked my hand over my face and dragged it down. "This has nothing to do with that."

"Ah, I understand now. Is he nearby?" Merlon winked. Then, exaggerating his voice, "Of course not, Mario, I know. Anyway, some spells that can help alter—"

"Seriously, Merlon, it's not that!" Annoyed, I dropped my hand away and held the Crystal Ball out further. "Bowser is in the Throne Room, discussing how to invade Peach's Castle. Apparently, Peach's forces kidnapped the Koopalings. I'm calling for advice on how to handle this!"

"…Oh." Merlon roughly tugged on his long mustache. "Well, that's, hm, that's quite different." Lower, he mumbled, "Beg your pardon, my apologies." He coughed and cleared his throat. "So! That's…quite a conundrum to sort."

"Understatement of this year goes to—"

"Cheeky, very clever." Merlon released his mustache and chuckled. "Well, let me have you direct this, before I make anymore silly assumptions."

"Could you have seen this coming?" I pulled the orb closer. "Is this why you were cautioning me about running into Peach soon?"

"That was a general warning regarding her, not me actually seeing a potential future involving you three," revealed Merlon. "Peach isn't quite so opened minded to her best friend dating her worst enemy."

"Ok, but, did you happen to know anything about this?" I bit at my lower lip. "Did…do you know if Peach planned this, or can you tell me if she will…?"

"Mario, the amounts of scenarios that I can predict and see are countless, even under an isolated incident," elucidated Merlon. "I could tell you that the most likely outcome is that you and Bowser will be fighting Peach's full army upon a poor confrontation by Bowser himself, and yet what could actually happen is that Peach comes knocking on Bowser's doorstep once we finish this discussion." He shrugged to me. "Perhaps, if we discuss the variables…?"

"No, it's probably a lot to go over, like you're suggesting," I determined. "There's no need for you to exert yourself over this, especially in such a small period of time."

"Well, it wouldn't be…ok, it would strain me, but I could—"

"It's already off the table." I pushed my hat back and massaged my forehead. "Besides, we wouldn't have nearly enough time to go over ever scenario. Bowser would already storm Peach's Castle ten times over before we finished."

"Now, it wouldn't take…I don't think we would be that long…" Merlon brushed his mustache again. "…Remind me, how often does Bowser kidnap Peach, again?"

"Not helping."

"Sorry."

"Just advising me while I brainstorm this should suffice," I decided. "What do you think happens if I just let Bowser go?"

"Worst case scenario is that this war blossoms to full-scale, and the final battle takes place at Peach's courtyard instead of Bowser's." Merlon paused and tapped on his hood. "Come to think of it, how often is the final battle held by her castle instead of his?"

"Merlon—"

"My apologies, I digress." He shook his head. "I don't advise you to simply let Bowser carry on with such a plan."

"So, you think that I should stop him."

"Ah…how close is he with these Koopalings?"

"They consider one another practically family."

"Then you won't stop him," realized Merlon. "Bowser is fiercely loyal to those closest to him, as I learned quickly. He could end your relationship over that."

"If…if that's what it takes—"

"Come now, Mario, that solves nothing," persisted Merlon. "If you two were to break up over this, you'd be back to basics, which means that you would only join Peach in raising the scale of this war. I thought your place was to help end it."

"While that's what I want, it might not be about that, in the end," I admitted.

"Gracious Mario, no one needs you to constantly be the hero that sacrifices everything for the greater good." Merlon leaned closer, his eyes twinkling. "You are allowed to be selfish, and you are allowed to love. Truly."

"But—"

"Please don't argue that." His eyes lowered as he looked away. "Some of us would give anything to have that back in our lives."

"…I'm sorry, Merlon."

"No, I apologize. These are your decisions, not mine." He sighed and returned his attention to me. "Though, I think stopping Bowser is ill-advised regardless of it all. If he's planning on marching against Peach's Castle for those he cares so deeply about, anyone that stands between him will be damned to stop him."

"But this doesn't make sense," I debated. "Letting him go will escalate the war, and stopping him will make it worse than that." I rubbed below my nose and itched at my mustache. "Those are the two options that I have."

"Two options are quite limiting, Mario." He chuckled. "I thought you had gone beyond seeing the world in black and white, wrong and right."

"It's complicated, I know."

"So think of your complex options," urged Merlon. "What else can you do…?"

"Um…I'm not sure." I thought for a moment. "Should I, uh…indirectly stop Bowser?"

"Again, I don't think he would appreciate that one bit," returned Merlon. "That shows your resolve to work against him, deteriorating your relationship, and leading right back to you two going against each other." Merlon shook his head. "You do want to be with him, right?"

"Absolutely, of course!"

"Then, don't come up with ways to go against him so harshly," tried Merlon. "Think, perhaps instead, of ways that could work with him, but not entirely…"

"…Then…I go with him."

"Are you mad?" Merlon shook his head. "That's completely out of the question. The entire Mushroom Kingdom will go against you over that."

"No, really, think about it," I insisted. "If I go with Bowser, even if Peach is absolutely sick of the idea of us together, I'm still the best mediator between them." I smiled. "It might be difficult, but I could probably get them to agree to some kind of middle ground. If not for the war itself, then at least to keep the Koopalings safe and prevent making things worse." I nodded. "I could do at least that much, right?"

"That's…not a terrible idea," relented Merlon. "But perhaps, maybe assert yourself against what Bowser would assume you doing there. He might imagine that you'd fight to Peach's Castle—"

"No, we're not doing that at all, not if I go." I hopped up from the bed, and walked along the rug. "I think that I can handle this much with Bowser, and he'll side with me easily on it. It's like you told me, I'm not going against him for it."

"Ah, I suppose not, but—"

"Can I ask you to exert yourself a little bit now?" I held the orb out again. "What's the most likely outcome of my going?"

"One moment…"

His eyes flickered and he turned away, chanting softly. I directed my attention back around Bowser's room, and glanced at his dark furniture, with red runners across the desk. I don't remember him putting up a picture of me before, but it stood there next to a small jewelry box. I smiled to it, and started over until a throat cleared and interrupted me.

Nearly dropping the Crystal Ball, I tightened my grip on it and gazed back into it.

"Sorry."

"That's fine, I only called you once." He winked to me. "Someone seems distracted."

"Merlon…"

"Ha, apologies." Merlon's eyes lowered again. "About this…dilemma, you're having, and yes, I realize it's an understatement."

"But…?"

"Going in there, it appears that Peach is entirely unaware of this matter, the kidnapping, but I couldn't extract information on the one behind it," explained Merlon. "Several outcomes involve things escalating once Bowser fires off about her knowing where the Koopalings are, that she ordered this, and both of their tempers are unchecked as you try to quell them both."

"So…it still goes south."

"Not necessarily."

"Huh?"

"Your being there, for both Peach and Bowser," pointed out Merlon, "it…very specifically is key to calming one or the other in each scenario. If you're able to balance that, if you can get them both to cooperate, then…it's possible to resolve at least this matter diplomatically."

"Then it's settled. I know what I have to do." I smiled and nodded. "Thank you very much for your help, Merlon. That doesn't nearly do you justice for your efforts."

"My, my, so eloquent in a just few words," he murmured, and then chuckled. "It's no wonder that Bowser fell so hard for you."

"Oh, it wasn't that…" I rubbed behind my head. "…Was it?"

"I fail to understand how so many couples are so intimately involved with one another, and yet still question their mutual feelings," mused Merlon. "It's odd, but somehow adorable."

"Please, Merlon…"

"Ha, I'm sorry, but I must poke fun where I can." He stroked his long mustache again. "Tell me, have you had any chance to practice magic yet? I understand that you've just arrived, but—"

"Well, we were essentially attacked upon arrival, so I did get the chance to use some spells," I recalled. "Nothing complicated, but enough to help Bowser and Kamek."

"Very good." Merlon nodded and gazed at me again. "So long as you make use of just a handful of spells, that will at least keep them fresh in your mind, and we'll continue working on them at a later date, hopefully." He paused and closed his eyes, as they vanished under the shadow of his hood. "That is, provided you're interested in learning still after this war."

"Honestly, I'm not sure if I'll have much need for it," I admitted. "Magic is useful, but it might be too much power for my daily use."

"If we continue, I could teach you how to properly temper it," offered Merlon. "Trust me, you do lose yourself in exertion over spells, but it's possible to live with it, so long as you keep it checked."

"Maybe. More importantly, though, I think I'd like to come check up on you and your family out there."

"Goodness, you really are sweet," teased Merlon. "Did Bowser soften you up more, or do you just come like that naturally? I feel the latter, but—"

"Are you done trying to embarrass me yet?" He laughed and my cheeks burned a bit.

"As you wish, I relent." Merlon nodded to me again. "I don't mean to keep you, though I seem to have adopted your tendency of worrying about…many things."

"I don't worry that much." His eyes lowered and I tightened my fist. "Ok, I worry a lot, but everyone does!"

"Mm…"

"Merlon!"

"You make this far too easy," he joked. "Fear not, as you are right: we all have plenty to concern ourselves with. You, myself, Bowser, Peach, and everyone else involved…" He trailed off and sighed. "It's…quite a lot, ever-changing…"

"We can do this though," I reassured. "All of us, together."

"Yes…keep that positive attitude, Mario." He chuckled. "It suits you more than you realize. But, enough of that, go, get to Bowser."

"Right. Thanks again!"

"Anytime, contact me when you're able. Take care."

His image disappeared from the Crystal Ball, and I stored it away. For a moment, I review everything and…blast; I forgot to ask him about Bowser's troops. How could I forget that? Digging back into my overalls, I reached in to pull it back out, but stopped and shook my head.

"Later," I mumbled to myself.

They should be fine, and Merlon can protect them out there. Right now, though…

Pulling the door open, I hurried out from Bowser's room and down the hall. As I raced down the stairwell, however, I crashed right into a wall, and fall backwards.

"Hang on!" Bowser's claws snatched me from hitting the stairs. "Mario, what's going on?"

"Bowser?" I shook my head. "I thought you were in the Throne Room."

"Before, yeah." He blinked and raised an eyebrow at me. "It wasn't a very long discussion, you know. They're familiar with the strategies by now."

"Not with me, they're not," I insisted.

"Mario, there isn't much you need to add." He frowned as he settled me onto a step. "I'm not going to ask you to listen as we plot out…well…"

"Invading Peach's Castle." I folded my arms as he looked away. "Bowser, I understand that you'll do anything to help the Koopalings."

"Yes, I will." He turned back to me, and gazed down. "I'm sorry, but I—"

"I want to help."

His red eyes softened and he took a step back down the step below, throwing an arm against the wall to balance himself. Bowser blinked and stared at me.

"…Did you hit your head that hard against me?"

"Not really." I chuckled and patted him. "Besides, you give soft landings and collisions, so—"

"Don't tell me that out loud!" He blushed and glanced behind him. "Uh…the stairs aren't the best place for this conversation."

"Your whole castle knows that we're dating—"

"No, I meant the invasion…" He sighed and picked me up. "Come on, back this way."

We went back up the stairs and into his bedroom. He placed me down, and I tapped my foot as he sighed.

"Ok, I should've asked before carrying you, sorry." Bowser shrugged. "It's just reflex for me."

"Are you ever going to stop locking me in bedrooms?"

"No." He grinned as I kicked at him. "Come on, how else could I respond?"

"Bowser—"

"Fine, fine." He clawed through his hair as his face fell. "So, explain yourself. You and I both know that you're not attacking your friends." Now his eyes lowered. "And as much I detest it, you would never side with me against Peach."

"No, I can't do that."

"What if we did get married?"

"Wait, what?" My face burned as his lit up as well.

"W-well, I was just wondering, you know…if were married, would you still not side with me, or—?"

"When did you decide on that?!"

"No, I-I didn't," insisted Bowser. "I just…I don't know, I passed by a Snifit carrying a portrait, and it was one of myself in that classy wedding tuxedo, so—"

"You went right to that?"

"Why not?" He shrugged. "Mario, I've tried to marry Peach in countless schemes before. And I know that we're not getting married anytime soon, but the thought crossed my mind before, and it's not going away." Bowser frowned and his shoulders fell. "Didn't you mention thinking about it too?"

"I…y-yes, but—"

"And don't you have that cute tuxedo too, that plain one?" Bowser grinned. "It's not as flashy as mine, but it certainly suits you, if you'll forgive the pun—"

"Bowser, the invasion!"

"Sorry." He frowned again. "I just…I don't…Mario—"

"Can I please get my idea out?" I folded my arms. "I know that it didn't go over well with the arguing troops, but—"

"Actually, I kind of liked that," confessed Bowser. "It was…oddly revealing." He stroked his chin and glanced upward. "So…you do have good ideas." Bowser smirked and winked. "Maybe I'll make a king out of you yet."

"P-please, Bowser…!"

"Ok, ok, I'm done." He placed a hand on his hip. "How are you planning to help me, Mario?"

"What if your invasion isn't one that attacks Peach's Castle?"

"…Yeah, good try, Mario, but I think we can end it—"

"Come on!"

"Sorry. Continue."

"Listen, I could go with you, and we could have a diplomatic visit." I pulled his hands up and held them in mine. "If we go together, Peach won't be as immediately hostile, because I can explain to her about…everything."

"She already knows about this." He lifted our hands up and dropped them back down. "It's not exactly going to be something she doesn't understand already."

"But she doesn't, not entirely, and not from our perspective," I persisted. "Peach is my friend, Bowser, and I'm not letting anyone write her off as some kind of evil tyrant, in spite of everything that you and your people believe about her."

"…I wouldn't expect you to." He softly smiled. "You see a lot of good in people, Mario. And I'm definitely including myself in that."

"Then try seeing it with me." I smiled to him, and interlaced our hands again. "We can go together, and rather than break the walls down, you and I can just get to Peach, ask her about the Koopalings and explain things about what we've done, before and lately, and maybe, if we don't escalate tensions—"

"Oh, no, I can't keep my temper checked right now." He pulled back a bit on his hands, but refused to let go of me. "I…Mario, no. I need to fight for the Koopalings, and no matter what we can level Peach with, she took these kids—"

"She didn't."

"Mario—"

"No, Bowser, she really didn't." His eyes narrowed on me. "I spoke with Merlon while you were planning out your war strategies."

"You what?" He shook his head. "What did that old fool tell you this time? And what stupid flirty cracks did he make about us?"

"…How'd you know that?"

"So he did!" Bowser growled. "Rotten, old, mystical little—"

"You two are oddly alike, now that you mention it."

"…Don't. Even. Joke. Not like that." He shook his head quickly. "Well, what did he tell you?"

"He doesn't know who had the Koopalings kidnapped," I divulged. "But neither does Peach. I had him test a few possible futures that involved us going there—"

"When you come with me?"

"Yes—I am serious about going, Bowser." He blinked to me and nodded as I continued. "Thing is, you and Peach both get set off easily over one another's rough accusations and poor chemistry, so…it's not easy if you go in ready to fight with her and tell her that she's lying about the Koopalings."

"But she has to know!" Bowser opened his mouth to continue, but hesitated.

"Because every monarch knows everything that goes on in the kingdom?" I raised an eyebrow. "Is that why your dissenters are so in-line after all?"

"That's…kind of a low blow."

"Sorry."

"No, don't be." Bowser nodded. "It was a fair one, and you're right." He rubbed my hands but tapped his foot. "If that's the case, though, then…who would go against Peach like that?" Bowser tail swayed a bit. "She…has a sturdy grip of control, I thought. So, who went behind her back?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure at all."

"That old steward?"

"Toadsworth?" I shook my head. "No way, he's loyal to Peach like Kamek is to you."

"Kamek does stupid things without my knowing."

"Would he do something that goes entirely against your wishes?"

"Not…seldom, if ever…" Bowser puffed out his cheek. "Ok, I can't come up with a time that he did, but I'm sure at some point…"

"He's loyal, Bowser. Both of them are." I gently bounced his hands in mine. "It wasn't him, and it wouldn't be any of my friends. Regardless, if we go together, we can help her figure it out, and we can get the Koopalings back." I smiled to him. "There are peaceful ways to resolve such matters, Bowser, really. If Peach knew about this, wouldn't she make demands by now?"

"…Yeah, I guess…" He slipped his hands from mine and raised his against my cheeks. "Mario, I still don't want you to go."

"I have to." I held his hands against me. "I'm the best option to mediate between you two."

"But you'll look like an enemy to the Mushroom Kingdom," he argued. "Mario, I can't have you risk that for me. I've…I've taken enough from you by now."

"We went over this already."

"Not like this," he contended. "Mario, this is literally the Mushroom Kingdom that will witness you…going against them and with me." Bowser shook his head. "I'm their go-to villain, Mario. I can't have them think of you like they do me. I won't."

"That's…sweet, but my call."

"Please, Mario…"

"We can figure that out once we get to it," I decided. "I know what I can do, and if going with you helps, then that's what I'm doing."

"But—"

"Bowser, I trust you." He jolted back and blinked at me. "My reputation be damned, I trust that you will work with me and get this sorted out as peacefully as possible. And I need you to trust me when I tell you that I can help get the Koopalings back, and that I'll do it without fighting."

"…I can't promise that nothing will happen," admitted Bowser. "If anyone attacks us, we're going to attack back. And I absolutely need to keep you protected, from both my forces and hers."

"You will." I smiled. "I believe in you."

"Ah my Stars, Mario…" Bowser beamed to me and wrapped his arms around me. "When you put it like that…Mario, I…" He hesitated, and I wrapped my arms under his. "…I trust you too. I already believe in you, so…" He pulled me close. "…Ok, we'll plan this back out with my troops tomorrow."

"Later tonight."

"Aw, but what about spending the night with you?" His toothy grin lit up. "After all, we can't go out too exhausted from our last adventure, right?"

"You will tell your forces about our change in plans later tonight," I reiterated, and he scowled. "But…we can spend…most of tonight together…"

Bowser's face lit back up instantly and swept down, kissing me. He pushed me back and then spun, dragging me onto the bed with him. Again, he scooped my face back into his, and we pressed our lips together again. Breaking apart, we gasped for breaths, but refused to part from one another, breathing in each other's faces. Bowser pulled me closer still, and nuzzled his nose against mine.

"I thought we were avoiding the exhaustion," I teased.

"This won't be exhausting," he insisted. "You're just going to tickle me with that mustache, and I'm going enjoy every second of it."

"Oho!" I reached forward at him, but he laced his hand into mine, and held me there for a moment. "What is it?"

"Hang on a minute."

We paused and waited for a moment; I listened to our hearts, the rhythm calming me more than usual. He sighed and smirked again, resting his free hand against my face.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's been so long since we've had a comfortable moment alone," he claimed. "The Clown Car was fun, but this…is better." He sighed. "I guess I was just waiting for one of the troops to come in and ruin it."

"Doesn't look like it." I bent my head backwards and stared upside down at the door. "Nope, not at all."

"How long can you hold that pose?"

"Don't even think about it."

He released an exasperated sigh, and his weight pressed down against me. I turned back to Bowser and he smiled down to me, adding in a wink.

"Nice and comfy?"

"You're squishing me."

"Nah, that's not squishing." He lowered himself, and now I really had his weight against me. "There you go. Better?"

"Can't…breathe…"

"Ha, didn't think…are you smiling?" I was, and he laughed. "How are you enjoying that?"

"Not…just…you." He lifted back up and I inhaled again. "Ah…better. You were nice and warm though."

"Yeah, and you like it."

"Very much."

"Good…" He paused and glanced at the door. "…You know, I'm really waiting for someone else to ruin this."

"Why?"

"I don't know." Bowser shrugged. "I'm used to having nice things last for a bit, only to have it ripped from me."

"We've had some good moments together."

"And plenty of them interrupted."

"Well, where are Junior and Kamek?"

"Out training," divulged Bowser. "Kamek offered. I think it'll help take Junior's mind off of things, and he hasn't practiced in a while." He grinned. "I wasn't planning on this today, but I do like how everything worked out. Maybe I should do this more often."

"Hey, don't shirk on your responsibilities," I scolded.

"My boyfriend is worth the distraction." He lightly kissed me again. "Don't argue, because you are."

"Maybe…once in a while."

"More than once."

"Bowser."

"Mario…" He exaggeratedly sighed dreamily. "Oh, Mario…"

"Quit it."

"What, don't you like me obsessing over you?" He laughed. "Come on, don't tell me you don't want to hear me calling your name with such vigor, passion—"

"I thought I wrote the sappy lines," I deadpanned.

"You know, I thought we were trying to have a moment, here." Bowser sat up and folded his arms. "Forget anyone else ruining it, you can do that all on your own."

"Aw, don't be like that." I pushed myself up and into him, gently pinching his cheeks. "You're so adorable, throwing little temper tantrums—"

"Hey, quit that!" He growled softly as I giggled. Bowser softened and giggled with me. "Stop laughing, you sound too cute."

"That only gives me more incentive to continue, you know."

"Fine, keep going." He pushed back into me, his arms wrapped around my back. "You'll only make this harder on yourself."

"Not really talking me out of it," I teased.

"Maybe I'm not trying to," he whispered. Bowser leaned in closer, hot breath splashing against me. "After all, I'm enjoying this."

"Really?" I lowered my eyes. "I couldn't tell."

"You want me to make it obvious?"

"I think you want to."

"Of course I do."

Again, he pressed his lips into mine, and I pushed back. We kissed, our mouths opened and we went into each other. Breaking apart, I couldn't help but wipe some drool on my face. He chuckled and gently stroked it away, entrancing red eyes lowered. My hands went back against his face and I pressed into him, kissing him again, tighter this time. A laugh escaped him as he came back into me, but he coughed a bit and pulled away quickly.

"Too much?"

"Hang on, just a second." He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Maybe we do need air after all." I laughed as he came back into me. "But no, it's never too much with you." His claw slipped under my hat, fingers stroking through my hair. His smile lit up again, and he continued to brush through it.

"Like that?"

"Love it."

"Good." I reached up and mimicked the motion, brushing against his. "Yours is nice too…"

"Yeah…ok, break's over."

He brought his lips back into mine and we kissed, hands running through hair, sliding back down to each other's faces. Bowser kissed down still, nuzzling into my neck and sucking a bit. My hands worked behind his head and I unsnapped his collar, taking it from his neck. He lifted his head from me, and our eyes met, locked with one another yet again. We both beamed to one another, as I placed the collar aside.

Tomorrow would be very difficult, but tonight didn't have to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, wasn't that adorable? They're planning on storming Peach's Castle as a couple! So cute.
> 
> Yeah, I definitely missed writing for Bowser and Mario smooching together, so I wanted that added in somewhere. Maybe it doesn't make sense to get so wrapped up, considering the circumstances, but it's the 40th chapter, I'm having my fun with their romance. If I say they kiss, then they kiss! And cuddle and and giggle and stuff.
> 
> Anyway, the serious bits. Yes, the Koopalings were kidnapped! And yes, you might know who it is, if you go back and read back about some minor characters that you thought I'd never use again. Mwahahaha…I use everyone with a name! To a degree, I guess. But yeah, I like the idea of Peach, Bowser, and Mario trading around their canon game roles, so while Peach isn't responsible for it, she seems like she made a Bowser move, Bowser's ready to rescue like Mario, and Mario's trying to find peace from it all like Peach would. Yay, the trio!
> 
> Bowser's forces are still divided, though at least his supporters are speaking up for him. He usually has this domineering presence over his army, and while that hasn't always been the case in this story, I did want to explore Bowser at a more level-headed approach with them. Who better to bring that one out than Mario? Even if Kamek would rather them fall in line, it wasn't a complete mess.
> 
> And yeah, I brought Merlon back right away; he's fairly important, so no forgetting about him! But he's got that mentor/advisor role for Mario, which goes nicely for them, since Bowser has Kamek and Peach has Toadsworth. It's nice when everyone has a good support chain to follow!
> 
> Some things got moved around with my plans between chapters, but I made sure that this one worked out pretty well, and I think it turned out ok. We'll see how it falls into place going forward. Next chapter, we'll bounce back to Peach, Luigi, and friends, but it'll be back to Bowsario for the chapter after. I've still got a few tricks up my sleeves, some dramatic character relations to explore, and a few more plot points to hit.
> 
> For now, though, that'll be all. Feedback is super great, so I would love to hear from you guys again! Comments and questions are welcomed. And, if you're still very excited about Super Mario Odyssey, feel free to message me about that too! Spoilers, though, keep in direct messages or off of reviews/comments, please. I personally don't own a Nintendo Switch, as I don't have much time for it, but I still do like keeping up to date on Mario games. In fact, I think I forgot that re-release of Mario & Luigi, with the spin-off of Bowser's Minions. I should go watch videos about that, I missed out!
> 
> This story has picked up quite a few hits, kudos, comments, and love in general around here, so thank you all so much for the support so far! I'm hoping that Odyssey might net some new folks that are interested in exploring the lovely goodness of Bowsario, but we'll see.
> 
> That's more than enough from me, though. I didn't even plan on this chapter being as long as it ended up, so I'm happy about that. On here, it's getting very close to breaking 300k, so I'm really looking forward to that happening with the next chapter! Almost made it this time, and it should come just short of it, but I can't force out more than we already have. Besides, it saves something special to happen with the next chapter.
> 
> Once again, thank you all so much for reading and for your support! I've got a lot going on, but I am looking to keep this fanfic going. Slow and steady, honest. Thank you again, and until next time, be well and take care!

**Author's Note:**

> So how was that? I noticed the lack of Mario/Bowser out there and wanted to make something. It was supposed to be a comical approach when I thought of it, but then I realized how impossible the couple was and made it more dramatic. In hindsight, it was kind of a ramble, so maybe I should have made it short and funny instead. Oh well!
> 
> Honestly, I was surprised no one really considered this pairing as something plausible, given how some heroes and villains have...intensely close relationships. *cough*BatmanJoker*cough* In all seriousness though, it felt like a refreshing take on the Mario/Peach/Bowser triangle, though maybe I haven't searched enough for more like this. Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> (Now I wonder if Mario/Bowser is so impossible that no one even ships it. Ha, what a tragedy indeed!)


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